OpenAI investors push for Sam Altman’s return as CEO: report
OpenAI’s board has reportedly received criticism from investors over the decision to fire its CEO Sam Altman.
According to a Nov. 19 Bloomberg report, citing people familiar with the matter, several investors in OpenAI — the artificial intelligence (AI) company behind chatGPT — are in contact with its largest shareholder, Microsoft, in an effort to reinstate Altman. to the position of CEO.
On November 17, OpenAI announced the removal of Altman as CEO, with its chief technology officer Mira Murati stepping up to the CEO role.
In a blog post, the board claimed that Altman’s communication lacked clarity and honesty, making it difficult to obtain an overall understanding of operations.
Thrive Capital, which is expected to spearhead a tender offer for employee shares, has reportedly not yet sent the funds, and Altman’s departure is poised to impact its action plan.
Thrive reportedly wants the board to rehire Altman and Greg Brockman, its president, who left Friday shortly after Altman left the company.
Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today.
Let’s first say thank you to all the incredible people we’ve worked with at OpenAI, our customers, our investors, and everyone who’s reached out to us.
We too are still trying to understand exactly…
– Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023
Brockman announced his departure after it was revealed that Altman had been removed from the board.
“Based on today’s news, I have quit,” Brockman said in an article on X.
Following this news, three senior OpenAI researchers, including Jakub Pachocki, research director, Aleksander Madry, preparation manager, and Szymon Sidor, senior researcher, also left.
Related: OpenAI Halts New ChatGPT Plus Signups Amid High Demand
Meanwhile, reports indicate that Altman is open to returning to the company, subject to the current board resigning by the end of the weekend.
Additionally, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reportedly expressed support for any decision Altman made, given that the board’s decision was also a surprise to him.
However, recent reports since Altman’s firing on Friday indicate that he is developing a new AI company that is expected to launch, according to sources familiar. Additionally, some reports indicated that Brockman would join Altman in this endeavor.
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