OpenAI’s pursuit of at least $30 billion in new funding at roughly $1.4 trillion valuation, reported September 29, 2026, stands as the dominant near-term catalyst for any valuation threshold market by October 31. The talks, still early and subject to change, follow the company’s March close of a $122 billion round at an $852 billion post-money valuation and come amid annualized revenue nearing $70 billion after a 70 percent surge since early Q3. CEO Sam Altman has signaled an IPO delay past 2026 over artificial intelligence safety priorities, positioning the round as bridge financing while OpenAI competes with Anthropic for enterprise adoption and infrastructure scale. Traders will watch for confirmation of terms or shifts in revenue momentum ahead of the end-of-October deadline.