Short answers, pulled from the story.
Sam Altman is an American entrepreneur born on the 22nd of April 1985, best known as CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. He previously served as president of Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019 and co-founded the location-based social networking app Loopt in 2005.
OpenAI's board removed Altman on the 17th of November 2023, stating that he "was not consistently candid in his communications." Former board member Helen Toner later said undisclosed issues included Altman not informing the board before ChatGPT's launch, not disclosing his ownership of OpenAI's startup fund, and reports of psychological abuse from two executives.
Altman was removed on the 17th of November 2023 and returned to OpenAI on the 21st of November 2023, a period of five days. His reinstatement followed a letter signed by more than 700 of OpenAI's 770 total employees threatening to leave unless the board resigned and brought him back.
Altman co-founded Loopt in 2005, which was acquired by Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million in March 2012. He also co-founded Hydrazine Capital with his brother Jack in April 2012, and co-founded Tools For Humanity in 2019, the company behind the Worldcoin cryptocurrency and iris-scanning identity system.
Altman debuted on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index in March 2024 with an estimated net worth of $2 billion, derived primarily from his venture capital funds related to Hydrazine Capital. As of June 2024, his investment portfolio includes stakes in more than 400 companies valued at around $2.8 billion.
Altman supports universal basic income and described himself as increasingly "politically homeless" in July 2025. He donated $250,000 to a Democratic super PAC supporting Joe Biden in May 2020 and $1 million to the Inaugural Fund for President Donald Trump in December 2024.