Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has expressed little enthusiasm about becoming the leader of a public company, revealing his reservations during an episode of the "Big Technology Podcast" published Thursday. While acknowledging the benefits of public markets, Altman admitted he has "0%" excitement about serving as CEO of a publicly traded company. "I'm excited about OpenAI being a public company in some ways, but in other ways, I think it would be really annoying," Altman said. He emphasized the advantages of remaining private, stating, "It's wonderful to be a private company," but acknowledged that OpenAI’s massive capital needs will eventually push it toward crossing shareholder thresholds and possibly going public. Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside eleven others, and the company’s trajectory skyrocketed after launching ChatGPT in 2022. The AI-powered chatbot now boasts 800 million weekly users and has secured over $1 trillion in deals with major tech firms including Oracle, Nvidia, and AMD. In October, OpenAI achieved a $500 billion valuation following a secondary funding round, briefly surpassing Elon Musk’s SpaceX to become the world’s most valuable private company—a title SpaceX has since reclaimed. Reports from The Information indicate OpenAI is now aiming to raise additional billions at a $750 billion valuation. Despite growing speculation, Altman remains uncertain about a near-term IPO. When asked if OpenAI might go public next year, he replied, "I don't know." He added that the company is likely to be "very late" to go public, suggesting a cautious approach to the transition from private to public status. Still, Altman recognizes the value of public markets in allowing broader participation in the creation of long-term technological value. Meanwhile, OpenAI continues to explore regulatory filings, with Reuters reporting in October that the company is considering submitting paperwork to securities regulators as early as the second half of 2026.