There's a secret WhatsApp group chat with more than 100 Silicon Valley CEOs in it and even they didn't know what Sam Altman did to get fired
Dec 12, 2023 - businessinsider.com
A private WhatsApp group chat consisting of over 100 Silicon Valley CEOs, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Dropbox chief Drew Houston, was abuzz with speculation about Sam Altman's firing from OpenAI, according to The New York Times. The reason behind Altman's dismissal remains unclear, with OpenAI's board stating that he "was not consistently candid in his communications with the board" but providing no further details.
Following Altman's abrupt dismissal, two interim CEOs were appointed before he was reinstated a few days later. OpenAI has since engaged lawyers from WilmerHale to review the events leading to Altman's firing, as per a statement from OpenAI chairman Bret Taylor. Representatives for Zuckerberg and Houston have not yet responded to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Key takeaways:
A private WhatsApp group chat consisting of over 100 Silicon Valley CEOs was used to speculate about Sam Altman's firing from OpenAI.
Notable members of the group include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Dropbox CEO Drew Houston.
The real reason behind Altman's firing remains unclear, with OpenAI's board stating that Altman 'was not consistently candid in his communications with the board'.
OpenAI has appointed lawyers from WilmerHale to review the events that led to Altman's firing.
