OpenAI CFO Reveals 2027 IPO; Worldcoin (WLD) in AI Token Spotlight

OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has told employees that the company will go public in 2027, a timeline that could accelerate if business growth continues. The announcement came during an all-hands meeting on Wednesday, more than two months after OpenAI submitted a confidential S-1 registration to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Friar framed the listing not as a finish line but as “a milestone, another fundraise,” pointing to the $122 billion the company raised in March, which gives it flexibility. That fundraising round valued OpenAI at $852 billion post-money, according to the company’s own disclosures. This clarity on OpenAI’s public debut is being watched closely across the AI token market, where altcoin investors often look to major AI players for sentiment cues. As an AI-focused token, Worldcoin (WLD) sits within this sphere, though no direct price reaction has been confirmed.

Friar also addressed competition, noting that rival Anthropic could pull its confidential filing and go public as early as September. A $2 trillion valuation has circulated for Anthropic ahead of a possible autumn debut. The revenue gap between the two firms remains wide: Anthropic disclosed preliminary second-quarter revenue of $11.5 billion and an annualized run rate of $65 billion as of late July. OpenAI, by contrast, reportedly generated $6.7 billion in the second quarter, up 18% from the first, with its annualized revenue run rate recently exceeding $40 billion. Friar’s slides showed OpenAI’s revenue run rate up 35% quarter-to-date and enterprise revenue up 50%, with coding and work products reaching 20 million weekly active users. These metrics are critical for AI-related crypto assets, as they signal demand for AI services that often indirectly influence token valuations.

The timeline marks a shift from earlier internal plans. According to staff briefings, CEO Sam Altman had pushed for an IPO in late 2026 with a valuation of no less than $1 trillion, while Friar had argued for waiting until 2027 to prepare for public disclosures. The CFO’s stance is now the company’s official position. OpenAI also repurchased $7 billion of employee shares last week at the same $852 billion valuation set in March. The company has experienced a wave of senior departures, including revenue chief Denise Dresser and product business head Fidji Simo, yet Friar’s presentation emphasized stability. For AI token traders, the timing of OpenAI’s listing may influence how they price AI trading bot strategies around token launches and sentiment.

The three events converge on a single theme: OpenAI’s path to public markets is becoming clearer, with concrete dates and financial figures that the market can evaluate. The primary source is Friar’s own statement to employees, which confirms the 2027 target and the flexibility provided by the $122 billion raise. This is the first explicit internal timeline disclosed, and it contrasts with Anthropic’s potential earlier move. For Worldcoin (WLD), the implications are indirect but significant: as an AI-linked token, its investor base often correlates with confidence in AI infrastructure. The spot price of Worldcoin has moved 13.7% over the last 24 hours, though the cause is not yet linked to this announcement. Analysts will watch whether this IPO clarity translates into sustained interest for AI tokens like AI crypto wallet use cases and broader adoption.