AI companies Anthropic, SpaceX, OpenAI expected to go public in 2026
11 reported
According to a Vox podcast report, three leading AI companies — Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI — are all expected to go public this year. 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 IPO, and reports say OpenAI could go public as soon as September. The combined value of these IPOs could total over $3 trillion, with SpaceX’s IPO potentially being the largest in history. The rush to go public is driven by a fear that investors will not wait for companies that delay, and by the high capital costs of AI, including compute and data centers. Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge, noted that Anthropic has shown better discipline than the others and is about to make a profit, while OpenAI’s business is described as scattered and SpaceX’s filings include what Lopatto called “nonsense about Mars.” According to a Vox podcast report, three leading AI companies — Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI — are all expected to go public this year. 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 IPO, and reports say OpenAI could go public as soon as September. The combined value of these IPOs could total over $3 trillion, with SpaceX’s IPO potentially being the largest in history. The rush to go public is driven by a fear that investors will not wait for companies that delay, and by the high capital costs of AI, including compute and data centers. Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge, noted that Anthropic has shown better discipline than the others and is about to make a profit, while OpenAI’s business is described as scattered and SpaceX’s filings include what Lopatto called “nonsense about Mars.”
What’s reported
Three AI companies — Anthropic, SpaceX, and OpenAI — are expected to go public in 2026.
SpaceX is on track to open to investors later this month after acquiring xAi.
Anthropic filed confidentially with the SEC for its IPO.
Reports say OpenAI could go public as soon as September.
The combined value of these IPOs could total over $3 trillion.
SpaceX’s IPO could be the largest in history and could make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
The rush to go public is fueled by a fear that investors will not wait for companies that delay.
AI is described as an extremely capital-intensive business requiring money for compute and data centers.
Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge, stated that Anthropic is about to make a profit and has shown better discipline.
Lopatto described OpenAI’s business as “scattered” and SpaceX’s IPO filings as including “nonsense about Mars.”
Vox Media has signed partnership agreements with OpenAI, but its reporting remains editorially independent.
Key figures
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and xAi
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
Liz Lopatto, senior writer at The Verge
Sean Rameswaram, co-host of Today, Explained
Sources: vox.com
