WASHINGTON, June 6, 2026, 12:13 EDT
U.S. President Donald Trump on this day introduced a fresh wrinkle to OpenAI’s ambitions, raising the idea that Americans might claim a piece of the action if valuations keep climbing. Trump said his team would look into whether the public should get a stake in artificial intelligence firms. The timing is notable—OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX are all vying for capital, with the race for massive listings heating up.
Timing’s in play here. OpenAI has been laying groundwork to quietly file for a U.S. IPO — that’s its first public share sale — while SpaceX pitches what would be a record-breaking deal, and Anthropic’s already pushed forward with its own paperwork. Reuters said on May 20 that OpenAI is working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley on a draft prospectus, eyeing a potential public debut as soon as September.
The mood has shifted in markets. U.S. exchanges sat quiet Saturday, following a punishing Friday for chip stocks—Nvidia, Micron, AMD and peers collectively dropped roughly $1.3 trillion in value. That brutal loss leaves late-stage AI firms facing a sharper dilemma: with valuations stretched, is there still appetite among public investors for another round of big capital raises?
Forbes billed OpenAI’s anticipated filing as a head-to-head with Musk’s SpaceX, which remains the benchmark for gauging appetite for AI-linked growth stocks. The squeeze hasn’t let up. In fact, the lineup is only growing busier.
OpenAI has been making a stronger push in Washington. In its public policy agenda released June 3, the company voiced support for federal guidelines aimed at advanced AI safety, as well as increased testing resources and policies addressing energy, youth protection, and workforce shifts. OpenAI also called for public wealth funds and similar approaches, saying these would help distribute the economic benefits of AI more broadly.
The conversation is shifting from think tanks to Capitol Hill. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently sat down with Sen. Bernie Sanders, following the senator’s push for a hefty public stake in AI firms, the Associated Press reported. Altman signaled support for the idea of public ownership in general, but sources say he didn’t go for Sanders’ proposed 50% mark. Trump weighed in on Friday, calling the prospect of a public AI partnership “very interesting.” AP News
Anthropic, nipping at OpenAI’s heels, has already moved. The company on Monday announced a confidential U.S. IPO filing—so, regulatory review begins, but financials stay under wraps. IPOX’s Kat Liu called it a bid to catch a good market “window.” Harrison Rolfes from PitchBook described Anthropic as grabbing a “narrative advantage” over OpenAI. Reuters
SpaceX has gone ahead and posted its IPO price at $135 per share, pushing for a valuation of $1.75 trillion—weeks before schedule, according to Reuters. The Musk-run firm is targeting a $75 billion raise, with shares set for Nasdaq pricing on June 11 and debuting on the exchange the following day.
Investors put in about $150 billion in orders for the SpaceX deal—double the actual offering—people familiar with the matter said. One hedge fund manager told Reuters the demand was so overwhelming, anyone left out would need to justify the decision to clients. Musk’s draw in the capital markets hasn’t faded.
SpaceX tossed investors a fresh AI angle on Friday, revealing that Google has agreed to shell out $920 million each month starting in October and running through June 2029. That deal secures Google access to SpaceX’s computing resources, including around 110,000 Nvidia GPUs—key chips for powering and training AI models. Factoring in a separate agreement with Anthropic, the company’s total compute deals on the books top $70 billion, assuming they go the distance.
OpenAI’s risk profile veers in another direction. Adding a government stake throws a wrench into ownership calculations and could cloud investor rights and questions of control. If the market cools, enthusiasm for another blockbuster AI debut might fizzle. Even with a confidential filing, there’s no obligation for the company to pick a public debut date.
Altman’s out ahead, angling to influence the rules before they set in stone. On Wednesday, Reuters said he intended to tell U.S. lawmakers they shouldn’t force AI companies to get government sign-off before launching new models. Instead, he’s pushing for Congress to boost federal AI testing funds. That leaves OpenAI right where it’s been: scrambling for cash as it tries to outpace competitors, yet lobbying to keep regulators from tying its hands on future releases.
