From Confusion to Reinstatement: Sam Altman’s Candid Reflection on OpenAI’s Saga

San Francisco, December 10: Sam Altman, who recently found himself back in the role of OpenAI CEO following an unexpected dismissal last month, shared insights into the perplexing and tumultuous events surrounding his reinstatement. Speaking on a podcast hosted by comedian-producer Trevor Noah, Altman disclosed that the sequence of events was both confusing and chaotic, further exacerbated by technical glitches on his iPhone.

Recalling the moment of his dismissal, Altman revealed, “I was in my hotel room, took this call, had no idea what it was gonna be, and got fired by the board.” The situation escalated as his phone became practically unusable due to a barrage of notifications. Altman elaborated, “iMessage did this thing where it stopped working for a while, then messages got delivered late, then it marked everything as read.”

Expressing his emotions at the time, Altman stated, “I was confused. It was chaotic and was ‘obviously upset’ by the board’s decision. It felt like a dream. It did not feel real.”

The exact reasons behind the board’s decision to remove Altman remain unclear. Reports suggest that his ouster was the result of various issues related to strategic decisions and a perceived lack of transparency in his communication with directors.

Interestingly, Microsoft executives, including Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, were reportedly caught off guard by the decision to remove Altman. Some within Microsoft viewed the board’s decision as “mind-bogglingly stupid” and potentially detrimental to the future of the ChatGPT developer, given Microsoft’s significant investment in OpenAI with a 49 percent stake in the for-profit entity.

The new OpenAI board, now chaired by Bret Taylor and comprising Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo (the sole member remaining from the previous board), adds a new chapter to the organization’s leadership dynamics. Altman’s return marks a turning point, and the coming months will likely reveal the direction OpenAI takes under the guidance of its reconstituted leadership.