That's a good question, it's why, for example, Bloomberg Media is still private. The only two reasons I can think of are: It gives your employees a cash out p

That's a good question, it's why, for example, Bloomberg Media is still private. The only two reasons I can think of are: It gives your employees a cash out plan if you used RSUs/Options/Ownership in the company as an incentive for hiring. Some businesses benefit from going public by it adding credibility (and open financial books). Some very large enterprises (Fortune 100, major governments) tend to look more preferably to publicly traded companies so it makes sense for the business to go public to go after these customers. There are also ways to defend against "public involvement" in publicly traded companies that have been around forever. Look at Facebook and the NYT's stock class structure, for example. It's also finally easier to get liquidity when you aren't desperate for it, and the public markets position you for it in a good way.