OpenAI operator rises

OpenAI’s chief financial officer Sarah Friar is increasingly being cast as the operational counterweight to CEO Sam Altman as investors press the company over IPO timing. (forbes.com) The Information reported Friar warned colleagues earlier this year that OpenAI was not “IPO‑ready” for a fourth‑quarter 2026 listing and questioned the company’s readiness and controls. (theinformation.com) OpenAI has told investors it now expects roughly $600 billion in total compute spending through 2030, and its 2025 revenue totaled about $13 billion, according to Reuters and CNBC reporting. (money.usnews.com) That debate matters to investors: banks and backers committed $122 billion in a recent private placement that valued OpenAI at about $852 billion, raising pressure for clearer financial governance ahead of any IPO. (cnbc.com) Friar told CNBC she will “for sure” reserve a slice of IPO shares for retail investors and said an $852 billion company should “look and feel and act … like a public company.” (cnbc.com) Friar joined OpenAI as chief financial officer in June 2024 after serving as chief executive of Nextdoor and previously as chief financial officer at Square; she led Nextdoor’s public listing in 2021. (forbes.com) She has also faced public scrutiny: in November 2025 Friar walked back comments about seeking a federal “backstop” for infrastructure spending, saying she had “muddied the point” in later clarifications. (bizinsider.org) The Information’s scoop could not be independently verified and Reuters reported OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment; the coming months will show whether Friar’s caution reshapes any Q4 2026 IPO plans. (economictimes.indiatimes.com)