AI companies SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI expected to go public in 2026
8 reported
Three leading artificial intelligence companies — Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI — are all expected to go public this year, according to a report from Vox. SpaceX, which recently acquired another Musk company, xAi, is on track to open to investors later this month. Anthropic has filed confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission for its initial public offering, and reports say OpenAI could go public as soon as September. The combined value of these AI IPOs could total over $3 trillion, with SpaceX’s IPO potentially being the largest in history and making Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. The rush to go public is driven by a fear that investors will not wait for a company that does not go public first, according to Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge. AI is also extremely capital-intensive, requiring money for compute, data centers, and frontier models, making public offerings a way to raise capital.
What’s reported
SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI are all expected to go public in 2026.
SpaceX recently acquired xAi and is on track to open to investors later this month.
Anthropic filed confidentially with the SEC for its IPO.
Reports say OpenAI could go public as soon as September.
Combined value of AI IPOs could total over $3 trillion.
SpaceX’s IPO could be the largest in history and make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
Liz Lopatto of The Verge stated there is a fear that if a company does not go public first, investors will not wait.
AI is described as an extremely capital-intensive business requiring money for compute, data centers, and frontier models.
Key figures
Liz Lopatto, senior writer at The Verge
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
Sean Rameswaram, co-host of Today, Explained
Sources: vox.com
