AI companies SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI expected to go public in 2026
8 reported
According to a Vox podcast report, three leading AI companies — SpaceX, Anthropic, 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 own IPO, 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. The rush to go public is driven by a fear that if a company does not go public first, investors will not wait for it, according to Liz Lopatto, a senior writer at The Verge. Lopatto noted that AI is extremely capital-intensive, requiring money for compute, data centers, and frontier models, making going public 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.
The combined value of AI 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.
Liz Lopatto stated that the rush to go public is fueled by a fear that investors will not wait for a company that does not go public first.
AI is described as an incredibly 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
