diff --git a/src/openai/_client.py b/src/openai/_client.py
index 18d96da9a3..20868678f8 100644
--- a/src/openai/_client.py
+++ b/src/openai/_client.py
@@ -110,10 +110,7 @@ def __init__(
         """
         if api_key is None:
             api_key = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY")
-        if api_key is None:
-            raise OpenAIError(
-                "The api_key client option must be set either by passing api_key to the client or by setting the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable"
-            )
+
         self.api_key = api_key
 
         if organization is None:
@@ -170,7 +167,9 @@ def qs(self) -> Querystring:
     @override
     def auth_headers(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         api_key = self.api_key
-        return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}
+        if api_key :
+            return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}
+        return {}
 
     @property
     @override
@@ -341,10 +340,7 @@ def __init__(
         """
         if api_key is None:
             api_key = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY")
-        if api_key is None:
-            raise OpenAIError(
-                "The api_key client option must be set either by passing api_key to the client or by setting the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable"
-            )
+
         self.api_key = api_key
 
         if organization is None:
@@ -401,7 +397,9 @@ def qs(self) -> Querystring:
     @override
     def auth_headers(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         api_key = self.api_key
-        return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}
+        if api_key :
+            return {"Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}"}
+        return {}
 
     @property
     @override