OpenAI is accelerating preparations for an initial public offering, aiming for the fourth quarter of this year.

A Wall Street Journal report in late January said OpenAI appears to be trying to move up its timetable, taking into account that rival Anthropic has also begun steps toward a listing.

The Wall Street Journal said the company that lists first is more likely to secure a large number of public-market investors, including retail investors seeking to invest in generative AI companies.

OpenAI is holding informal talks with Wall Street banks about an IPO. It is also strengthening its finance organisation. It has newly hired Azzemir Dale (아즈미어 데일) as chief accounting officer and Cynthia Gaylor (신시아 게일러) as corporate finance chief. Gaylor oversees investor relations.

A recent report by The Information said OpenAI selected law firms Cooley and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to prepare for an IPO.

Selecting law firms is one of the first concrete steps in IPO preparations. Follow-on procedures such as selecting investment banks typically come next. OpenAI executives internally believe an IPO is possible in the fourth quarter of this year and are carrying out preliminary work such as legal preparations and negotiations with securities authorities.

People familiar with internal sentiment say OpenAI executives are concerned that Anthropic could list first. Anthropic publicly told financial partners it could list by the end of this year. Anthropic’s revenue is rising rapidly, helped by the spread of its coding agent, Claude Code.