Despite over 95% of employees signing a letter demanding Altman's return, there were reports of intense peer pressure to sign the letter. Prior to OpenAI, Altman was asked to leave Y Combinator, a start-up incubator, due to similar issues. His dismissal from OpenAI was partially motivated by the board's belief that his behavior made it impossible for them to effectively oversee him as CEO.
Key takeaways:
- OpenAI's board fired CEO Sam Altman due to allegations of psychological abuse and creating chaos within the company, according to anonymous sources familiar with the board's thinking.
- Altman was accused of pitting employees against each other and lying to board members, which led to a review of his conduct and ultimately his dismissal.
- Despite over 95% of employees signing an open letter demanding Altman's return, there were reports of intense peer pressure to sign the letter, and some employees feared retaliation from Altman.
- Before his tenure at OpenAI, Altman was asked to leave start-up incubator Y Combinator due to clashes attributed to his self-serving approach.