Sam Altman Reclaims OpenAI CEO Role After Turbulent Five-Day Ouster
Sam Altman returns as CEO of OpenAI with a revamped board of directors following a massive employee revolt and intense pressure from Microsoft.
Sam Altman returns as the CEO of OpenAI, ending a dramatic five-day power struggle that shocks the technology industry. The AI company behind ChatGPT welcomes back its leader alongside a completely overhauled initial board of directors that features former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, and Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo.
This leadership reversal follows immense internal and external pressure after the previous board abruptly fires Altman for allegedly not being consistently candid. OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman resigns in protest, and Microsoft announces plans to hire both executives for a new in-house AI team before the situation resolves.
The tipping point arrives when over 700 OpenAI employees threaten to quit unless the board reinstates Altman, prompting board member Ilya Sutskever to publicly reverse his stance. Interim CEO Emmett Shear expresses deep pleasure with the resolution, and Altman confirms his return while emphasizing a continued strong partnership with Microsoft.