In a surprising turn of events on the late evening of November 17th, Sam Altman, the former president of Y Combinator, was ousted as the CEO of OpenAI, the company renowned for AI successes such as ChatGPT, GPT-4, and DALL-E 3, by the board of directors. Following this development, Greg Brockman, the long-serving president and co-founder, also resigned, along with three senior researchers from OpenAI. The situation is evolving rapidly.
The unfolding events are complex, and we are actively working to unravel the details. As we seek clarity, we have compiled a timeline to facilitate understanding of the sequence of occurrences.
Timeline of Sam Altman’s removal from OpenAI November 21 OpenAI and Sam Altman reach an agreement for his return as CEO, with an “initial” new board that includes Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo.
Altman shares insights on the decision, stating that joining Microsoft was the best path, but the composition of the new board and Microsoft’s support led to his return to OpenAI.
OpenAI board engages in discussions with Sam Altman, exploring the possibility of his return as CEO within the week.
Board tensions escalate, with reports suggesting that Sam Altman attempted to remove board member Helen Toner, contributing to the current situation. Negotiations for Altman’s return are ongoing, with a key point of contention being the establishment of “guardrails” to improve communication between Altman and the board.
November 20 Altman, along with Greg Brockman and colleagues, announces joining Microsoft to lead a new AI research team. OpenAI employees, including Sutskever, express discontent, threatening to resign unless the board steps down and Altman is reinstated.
Altman and Brockman consider returning to OpenAI if the board members who initially fired Altman step aside.
OpenAI board explores a potential merger with Anthropic, involving Dario Amodei as a replacement for Altman, but the offer is declined.
November 19 Altman is expected to meet at OpenAI HQ as executives push for his reinstatement. Board negotiations face challenges as some members resist Altman’s return, and potential candidates for the board are being vetted.
Emmett Shear is appointed interim CEO, succeeding Altman.
November 18 OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap issues an internal memo stating that the board’s decision was not due to malfeasance. The planned sale of OpenAI employee shares, valuing the startup at $86 billion, is in jeopardy.
Altman plans a new venture, potentially an AI chip startup, with Brockman expected to join.
Investors exert pressure for Altman’s return, recruiting Microsoft’s support. The board agrees in principle to resign, but uncertainty persists.
November 17 Brockman is demoted from the board but remains as president. Altman is fired as CEO, publicly announced by OpenAI. Sutskever defends the decision in an all-hands meeting.
Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, releases a statement expressing commitment to the partnership with OpenAI.
Brockman resigns, and three senior OpenAI researchers follow suit.
November 16 Sutskever schedules a call with Altman. Mira Murati, OpenAI’s CTO and interim CEO, is informed of Altman’s firing.
The situation remains fluid, and updates will be provided as new information emerges.
