Ewan Larkin
Nov 23, 2023

Sam Altman returns to OpenAI: What the players, stakeholders and journalists are saying about it

Following CEO Sam Altman's unexpectedly expected return to the platform yesterday, key parties, investors and tech journalists are chiming in on the unfolding brand saga.

Sam Altman returns to OpenAI: What the players, stakeholders and journalists are saying about it

Five days after an attempted boardroom coup, Sam Altman is returning as CEO of OpenAI

OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, said in a statement early Wednesday morning that it has an “agreement in principle” for Altman to return with a new initial board. Former president Greg Brockman is also coming back to the organization. 

“We are collaborating to figure out the details,” OpenAI added. 

The new board will be composed of Bret Taylor, who will serve as chair; Larry Summers, the former Treasury secretary; and Adam D’Angelo, the only member of OpenAI’s previous board to remain. Altman won’t be on the initial board. 

The main goal of the initial board is to “vet and appoint” an expanded board of up to nine people to “reset the governance of OpenAI,” sources familiar with the negotiations told The Verge. Altman wants a spot on the expanded board, as does Microsoft, which has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI. 

Altman has also agreed to an internal investigation into why he was fired by the board, according to The Information.

Here’s what key parties, investors and tech journalists are saying about Altman’s chaotic departure from and return to OpenAI.

Key parties

Sam Altman

Greg Brockman

OpenAI

Ex-interim OpenAI CEO Emmett Shear

OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati

Ex-OpenAI board member Helen Toner

Bret Taylor, chair of the new initial OpenAI board

Investors

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Siqi Chen, board of directors at Sandbox VR

Peter Lee, corporate VP, Microsoft Research

Journalists

Kara Swisher

Emily Chang, Bloomberg

Alex Heath, The Verge

Amir Efrati, The Information

Erin Woo, The Information
 
Ina Fried, Axios

Mike Bird, The Economist 

Source:
PRWeek

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