OpenAI has graciously decided to let its employees cash in on their stock options, buying back a cool $7 billion worth of shares. Because what's a little liquidity between friends? The deal, which Bloomberg was kind enough to report, values the privately held AI lab at a whopping $852 billion - the same price tag as its March fundraising round, which added a mere $122 billion to the company's war chest.

In June, OpenAI also filed confidentially with the SEC, hinting at a potential IPO later this year. But this tender offer suggests that the public debut might be postponed - perhaps indefinitely. In the age of startups staying private longer than a teenager's phone addiction, private tenders are the new way for companies to let employees actually see some money without the pesky scrutiny of a public offering. OpenAI didn't respond to requests for comment, probably because they were busy counting their billions.

CEO Sam Altman recently wrote, 'We did not have our best 12 months ever, which is mostly my fault, but we are about to have our best 12 months to date.' That's a bold claim for a company that, according to the Wall Street Journal, missed internal financial goals in April. Going public usually requires showing strong numbers, and OpenAI might be trying to polish its image before facing the public markets.

While OpenAI's impressive growth and products will surely generate buzz, the potential IPO of rival Anthropic - which was reportedly profitable earlier this year - gives OpenAI a reason to put its best face forward. This tender could be a sign that the much-anticipated offering will wait until OpenAI's new strategy of trimming its bets and focusing on enterprise business pays off. Or, you know, they might just be enjoying the private life.