Sam Altman, who became the talk of the town after the interactive AI platform ChatGPT caused sensation just a year ago, has been fired by OpenAI. Altman was the CEO and director of the $80-billion company. Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, will now serve as interim CEO, effective immediately.
In a statement, OpenAI said, “Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.”
Altman’s Contribution To OpenAI
1) Sam Altman is credited with almost singlehandedly convincing Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to commit $10 billion to the company. Altman, who once ran the best-known startup incubator YCombinator, or YC, leaves OpenAI with a big hole to fill in its fundraising efforts.
2) He led the company’s tender offer transactions this year that fuelled a nearly three-fold valuation bump from $29 billion to over $80 billion.
4) Sam Altman attracted AI engineering talent. Many talented engineers flocked to the company during his tenure. He successfully recruited from Google, Microsoft and other established tech giants with surer pay packages, promising to let them in on the ground floor of a world-altering technology.
5) Altman’s moonshot ethos likely played well among ambitious engineers tired of toiling away for blue-chip tech firms.
This year, in addition to his efforts with OpenAI, Sam Altman started a cryptocurrency firm that scans people’s irises for verification.
OpenAI was founded as a non-profit in 2015 with the core mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Sam Altman served as the company’s CEO between 2020 and 2023. Sam Altman’s net worth is estimated between $500 and $700 million.
In a post on X, Altman on Friday said, “I loved my time at OpenAI. It was transformative for me personally, and hopefully the world a little bit. most of all I loved working with such talented people. Will have more to say about what’s next later.”
Who is Mira Murati?
OpenAI CTO Mira Murati has been appointed interim CEO of the company, with immediate effect.
A member of OpenAI’s leadership team for five years, Mira has played a critical role in OpenAI’s evolution into a global AI leader. She brings a unique skill set, and understanding of the company’s values, operations, and business, and already leads the company’s research, product, and safety functions.
Given her long tenure and close engagement with all aspects of the company, including her experience in AI governance and policy, the board believes she is uniquely qualified for the role and anticipates a seamless transition while it conducts a formal search for a permanent CEO.
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