Ilya Sutskever Uses Secret Memo to Oust Sam Altman and Plot Anthropic Merger
Newly released deposition transcripts reveal that former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever orchestrated Sam Altman's firing using a 52-page memo of secondhand accusations. The documents also uncover a panicked board's failed weekend plot to merge the collapsing company with rival Anthropic.
A newly released deposition from former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever reveals the calculated strategy behind Sam Altman's unexpected firing. At the request of the board, Sutskever authors a 52-page memo that opens with a stark claim, accusing Altman of exhibiting a consistent pattern of lying, undermining executives, and pitting staff members against one another. Sutskever admits under oath that his clear objective in compiling these secondhand accusations from other leaders is to secure Altman's immediate termination.
Fearing that Altman will destroy the evidence, Sutskever takes secretive measures to distribute the document safely to board members. The memo relies heavily on accounts from Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and other top executives rather than Sutskever's own direct observations. This compiled list of grievances serves as the primary justification for the board's sudden decision to remove Altman from his position as CEO.
Following the explosive firing, the remaining board members panic as they realize the company is rapidly destabilizing without its charismatic leader. In a desperate move to prevent total collapse, several board members hatch a wild plan over the weekend to merge OpenAI with its biggest rival, Anthropic. This last-ditch effort ultimately fails, leaving the board with no choice but to reinstate Altman and ending one of the most chaotic chapters in Silicon Valley history.