Altman's return and the board's expansion follow an investigation by law firm WilmerHale, which concluded that Altman's removal was due to a breakdown in trust and relationship with the previous board. However, there are reports of concerns about Altman's behavior, with allegations of manipulation and undermining those who challenged him. Both OpenAI CTO Mira Murati and former board member Ilya Sutskever had reportedly expressed concerns about Altman prior to his ouster last year.
Key takeaways:
- Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, is rejoining the company's board of directors after losing his seat several months ago. He will be joined by three new members: Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nicole Seligman, ex-Sony Entertainment president, and Fidji Simo, CEO of Instacart.
- The addition of these new members brings the total number of OpenAI's board to seven people. The previous board members, including Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, and economist Larry Summers, will remain in their roles.
- The expansion of the board and Altman's reappointment comes after OpenAI faced criticism for its all-male board and lack of diversity. The Congressional Black Caucus had flagged this issue in a letter sent in January.
- The reinstatement of Altman follows an investigation by law firm WilmerHale, which concluded that Altman's ouster was due to a breakdown in the relationship and loss of trust between him and the prior board. However, some at OpenAI, including CTO Mira Murati and former board member Ilya Sutskever, have expressed concerns about Altman's behavior.