OpenAI’s Founder Sam Altman Set to Return After Company Shakeup

In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI has struck a deal for the return of its founder and ousted CEO, Sam Altman. This announcement follows the recent removal of OpenAI’s entire board of directors. The company revealed the agreement on Ex, outlining plans for a new interim board that includes notable figures such as Brett Taylor, former CEO of Salesforce, and Larry Summers, former US Treasury Secretary. Adam D’Angelo, the current CEO of Quora, is also slated to join the board. Altman himself confirmed his official return to OpenAI with an optimistic statement: “I look forward to returning to OpenAI.”

This development comes after a series of dramatic events over the past five days, starting with Altman’s dismissal due to perceived communication issues. Subsequently, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, resigned from his position. The board attempted negotiations by proposing the resignation of responsible board members and Altman’s reinstatement. However, these efforts fell through as two board members rejected the demands, leading to failed negotiations.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, played a pivotal role in altering the course of events. He announced that Altman and Brockman had accepted positions at Microsoft to lead a new division focused on advanced AI research. Nadella extended an invitation to all OpenAI employees to join this new sector, underscoring the ongoing partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI. The situation reached a critical juncture when all OpenAI employees expressed their opposition to the board’s decision, threatening mass resignations and potential migration to Microsoft.