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Sam Altman says the OpenAI board members who ousted him left him with a 'complete mess' and a house 'on fire'

Jan 06, 2025 - businessinsider.com
In November 2023, Sam Altman was ousted as CEO of OpenAI by the company's board due to alleged inconsistencies in his communications. However, he was reinstated five days later following employee protests. Altman described the situation as chaotic, likening it to a "house on fire," and criticized former board members for creating a "complete mess." The board initially consisted of six members, with four voting for Altman's removal. After his return, only Adam D'Angelo remained on the board, while Ilya Sutskever, who left his role as chief scientist in May, was among those who voted for Altman's ouster.

Following Altman's reinstatement, OpenAI experienced significant leadership changes, with several key figures departing. Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike left for Anthropic, a rival company, and cofounder John Schulman followed suit in August. In September, CTO Mira Murati also announced her departure. Meanwhile, OpenAI is in discussions with California's attorney general about transitioning to a for-profit entity, having originally launched as a non-profit in 2015. In October, the company secured $6.6 billion in funding, valuing it at $157 billion.

Key takeaways:

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  • Sam Altman was ousted and then reinstated as OpenAI's CEO within five days after employee protests.
  • Altman described the situation as chaotic, with multiple challenges including government investigations and board member issues.
  • Several key figures, including Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, left OpenAI following Altman's return, with some joining rival company Anthropic.
  • OpenAI is in discussions about transitioning to a for-profit entity and recently closed a significant funding round, valuing the company at $157 billion.
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