OpenAI CFO raises concerns over Sam Altman’s IPO dreams in 2026: Here’s what she reportedly stated

OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has expressed serious doubts about CEO Sam Altman's plan to take the company public as early as the fourth quarter of 2026, according to a report by The Information.

Friar reportedly told colleagues that OpenAI may not be organisationally or procedurally ready for a public listing by late 2026.

She added that massive groundwork is still needed in compliance, reporting systems, and internal processes to meet the rigorous demands of public markets.

Altman has been pushing for a Q4 2026 IPO and has committed the company to spending up to $600 billion over the next five years on AI infrastructure and compute resources.

In contrast, Friar has questioned the necessity of such heavy investments in AI servers, especially amid slowing revenue growth and a projected cash burn exceeding $200 billion.

Sources reportedly say that Altman has stopped inviting Friar to certain key financial meetings with investors. Friar is believed to prefer a more measured approach, possibly targeting 2027 to better prepare the company for going public.

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The company completed a major restructuring last year, which reduced its dependence on Microsoft and paved the way for greater independence in raising capital.