An excerpt from the forthcoming book “The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future” reveals fresh insights into the 2023 firing of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The book, authored by Keach Hagey of the Wall Street Journal, uncovers the complexities that led to this dramatic decision by OpenAI’s board.
Key Events Leading to Altman’s Dismissal
The OpenAI board expressed growing concerns regarding various issues, including the existence of an OpenAI Startup Fund, which was reportedly owned by Altman personally. This revelation raised alarms among board members about potential conflicts of interest.
Allegations of Misconduct
Meanwhile, co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati began compiling evidence they deemed indicative of Altman’s problematic behavior. Their investigation included documentation such as Slack messages sourced from Murati’s channel. Notably, Altman had asserted that the legal department advised that GPT-4 Turbo did not require review by the joint safety board; however, the chief lawyer later contested that claim.
Board Response and Employee Reaction
Following the presentation of this evidence by Sutskever, the board acted to terminate Altman and appointed Murati as interim CEO. However, this decision proved to be controversial. A substantial number of OpenAI employees, including both Sutskever and Murati, signed a letter advocating for Altman’s reinstatement, which ultimately occurred. In the aftermath, both Sutskever and Murati departed OpenAI to pursue their own startup ventures.