Altman Responds to Returning as CEO: 'I Love OpenAI' - The 100-Hour 'Power Struggle' Drama Concludes
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On the 22nd, OpenAI announced on social platform X that Altman will return as CEO.
Later, Altman posted on X, stating, 'I love OpenAI.' He added, 'When I decided to join Microsoft, it was clearly the best choice for me and the team at the time. With the new board and Satya’s support, I look forward to returning to OpenAI and building a strong partnership with Microsoft.'
Previously, the 'power struggle' at OpenAI, a leading AI research organization, took several dramatic turns. On the evening of the 19th, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella confirmed that Altman, OpenAI’s founder and former CEO, would join Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research team. Subsequently, reports emerged that around 500 OpenAI employees signed an open letter threatening to resign and join Microsoft unless the board was dissolved, Altman was reinstated as CEO, and former chairman Brockman returned. By the 20th, over 700 employees—about 95% of OpenAI’s workforce—had signed the letter. Concerns about OpenAI’s future have grown, with The New York Times noting on the 20th that OpenAI’s technology had spurred hundreds of startups, many of which now worry about their prospects.
Related Report: Altman Returns as OpenAI CEO! Recapping the 100-Hour 'Power Struggle' Drama (The Paper)
After days of negotiations, late on November 21, OpenAI announced a preliminary agreement for founder Sam Altman to return as CEO, with a new board including Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. 'We are working together on the details. Thank you for your patience,' the statement read.
From the board’s initial announcement of Altman’s removal, just over four days passed, filled with twists and turns in this gripping corporate drama.
Timeline of OpenAI’s Leadership Turmoil (San Francisco Local Time)
Key figures:
Sam Altman, Co-founder and former CEO of OpenAI
Greg Brockman, Co-founder and former President of OpenAI
Ilya Sutskever, Co-founder and Chief Scientist of OpenAI
Mira Murati, Chief Technology Officer of OpenAI
Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Emmett Shear, Interim CEO of OpenAI
November 16
Sutskever notifies Altman of a meeting
Altman attended the APEC CEO Summit in California, discussing the future of art and artists at an event in Oakland.
According to Brockman's post on X (formerly Twitter), Sutskever texted Altman that evening to schedule a conference call for noon the next day.
Brockman stated that Murati learned that evening that Altman would be dismissed.
November 17
Altman Publicly Announced to be Fired
At noon, Altman was attending the biggest weekend party in Las Vegas—the Formula One race—when he clicked on a Google Meet link in his hotel room. Sutskever informed him that he would be fired, the news would be announced soon, and no explanation was given.
Brockman said that shortly after noon on the 17th, he received a text from Sutskever requesting a call. Four minutes later, he received a Google Meet link and was told that he would be removed as chairman of the board but 'remained critical to the company and would retain his position as president,' while Altman had been fired.
Around the same time, OpenAI published a blog post announcing the executive changes—Altman was publicly announced to be fired, with the reason cited as 'not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.' Mira Murati was appointed interim CEO.
OpenAI held an all-hands meeting that afternoon, where Sutskever defended the board's decision to remove Altman. He dismissed claims that ousting Altman was equivalent to a 'hostile takeover' and asserted the necessity to protect OpenAI's mission of 'ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.'
After the meeting, the executive team regrouped in the conference room. According to insiders, one executive told Sutskever that the lack of detail in the firing announcement was unacceptable and demanded that other board members join a video call to explain. During the call, the executive team pressured the board for about 40 minutes to provide specific examples of Altman's 'lack of candor,' but the board refused, citing legal reasons. Some executives mentioned receiving inquiries from regulators and law enforcement agencies, including the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office, regarding Altman's 'lack of candor.'
The board agreed to discuss the matter with their lawyers. Several hours later, they returned but remained unwilling to provide specifics. They stated that Altman was not candid and often acted as he pleased. According to sources familiar with the executives, the board claimed Altman was so adept at this that they couldn't provide concrete examples. The executives demanded written examples of the board's allegations.
Microsoft Issues Statement
Nadella, representing Microsoft—a major investor and partner of OpenAI—issued a statement: "As seen at Microsoft Ignite this week, we continue to innovate rapidly for this AI era. We announced over 100 updates across our tech stack, including AI systems, models, and tools in Azure, as well as Copilot. Above all, we are committed to delivering these to our customers while building the future. Our long-term agreement with OpenAI ensures full access to everything needed for our innovation agenda and exciting product roadmap, and we remain dedicated to our partnership, including Mira and the team. Together, we will keep bringing this technology's value to the world."
Altman spoke with Nadella by phone, expressing his desire to continue advancing this technology. Sources revealed they explored ways to reverse the day's events but also began formulating a backup plan for Altman to lead a new team of top researchers under Microsoft.
Brockman Resigns
After reviewing the latest updates, Brockman announced his resignation from OpenAI. He shared the news internally via a memo and simultaneously posted it on X.
Altman confided in friends about potentially co-founding a new company with Brockman and recruiting dozens of OpenAI employees.
OpenAI Senior Researchers Resign
Following Brockman, three senior OpenAI researchers resigned, including Research Director Jakub Pachocki and Aleksander Madry, head of the "Preparedness" team (tasked with addressing AI's "catastrophic risks").
November 18
Altman at Home
After being dismissed, Sam Altman immediately flew back to San Francisco. His home turned into a war room, packed with OpenAI employees, including interim CEO Mira Murati and other members of the executive team, strategizing his return to the company.
Management and Board Continue Negotiations
An internal memo from OpenAI revealed that Altman's dismissal was not due to "malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices," but rather a "breakdown in communication between Sam Altman and the board."
In the memo, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap stated that the announcement "took (the management team) by surprise," and that management had "engaged in multiple conversations with the board to better understand the reasons and process behind their decision." According to the memo, discussions were still ongoing as of the morning of the 18th.
OpenAI's Funding at Risk
Previously, OpenAI had planned to sell employee shares, which would value the startup at approximately $86 billion, but this plan may now be in jeopardy. Three sources within the company disclosed that OpenAI no longer expects the deal led by Thrive Capital to proceed, or if it does, the valuation will likely be lower due to recent developments.
Altman Pitches New Venture
Altman has been pitching investors on his plans to start a new company, with Brockman expected to join as well.
Investors Push for Altman's Return
Investors including Microsoft are furious about recent developments and are pressuring OpenAI's board to reinstate Altman. Meanwhile, some of OpenAI's major venture capital backers are reportedly considering legal action against the board. Neither Khosla Ventures nor Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder and former OpenAI board member, were notified in advance of the decision to dismiss Altman.
Board Agrees in Principle to Change Course
A source close to Altman stated that the board had agreed in principle to resign and allow Altman and Brockman to return, but has since hesitated.
November 19
Altman Returns to OpenAI Headquarters as Guest for Negotiations
Mira Murati sent a note to employees announcing Altman's return to the office. Upon arrival, Altman used a guest pass to enter OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters for a meeting with the board, and Brockman was also invited to join.
Board Negotiations Hit Roadblocks
Altman, Brockman, Murati, Lichtcap, strategy lead Jason Kwon, and other members of the leadership team spent the day negotiating with the board, advocating for Altman's reinstatement and proposing new board members. As expected, board members resisted. The board has not yet resigned, citing concerns about potential replacements and ongoing candidate reviews. Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor is one possible candidate, as is a Microsoft executive.
Negotiations continued late into the night, with multiple rounds of food deliveries to the office. Journalists from various news outlets monitored the scene like a papal conclave. Inside, employees gathered, some in tears.
Interim CEO Change
Ultimately, Sutskever informed employees that Altman would no longer serve as OpenAI's CEO. OpenAI appointed Twitch co-founder Shear as the interim CEO, replacing Murati, while continuing the search for a new permanent CEO.
According to an insider, Slack sent a message to employees announcing an all-hands meeting with Shear, but several employees responded with middle-finger emojis. Fewer than a dozen people attended, while around 200 people waiting for a solution left the building.
In the lobby, Brockman's wife, Anna Brockman, tearfully pleaded with Sutskever to reconsider. In 2019, Sutskever had officiated Brockman's civil wedding ceremony at the OpenAI office.
Altman Joins Microsoft
Nadella posted on X at midnight, announcing that Altman, Brockman, and their colleagues would join a new AI research team led by Microsoft. Altman reposted the message to confirm. Nadella also extended an invitation to other OpenAI employees, offering necessary resources if they chose to join.
OpenAI Board Reaffirms Decision
The board issued an internal memo to employees, standing by its decision to remove Altman. "In short, Sam's behavior and lack of transparency in his interactions with the board undermined its ability to oversee the company effectively," it stated. "It is crucial for any CEO to be honest and transparent with the board."
To counter theories circulating on social media, the memo added, "This decision was unrelated to product safety, development pace, or OpenAI's finances."
Employees Threaten to Resign
Nearly 500 of OpenAI's approximately 770 employees (including Sutskever) signed a joint letter stating they might resign unless the board steps down and reappoints Altman. By the end of the day, the number of signatories climbed to 747.
Altman reposted numerous OpenAI employee tweets on X stating "OpenAI is nothing without its employees." He then posted two messages to reassure staff, expressing pride in the management team and saying "I'm excited we'll all be working together in some way."
Sutskever expresses regret
Sutskever posted on X expressing regret about the decision to remove Altman: "I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and will do everything I can to reunite the company." Altman reposted this with three heart emojis.
November 20
Altman and Brockman consider returning
While Altman's move to Microsoft isn't finalized, both he and Brockman remain open to returning to OpenAI if the board members who initially fired Altman resign. Altman tweeted "We'll all be working together in some way," suggesting the battle continues.
That evening, when asked on TV whether Altman would become a Microsoft employee and if 700 OpenAI staff would join Microsoft, Nadella only said "That's for OpenAI's board, management and employees to decide." He stated OpenAI needs new governance.
Microsoft prepared office space in San Francisco's LinkedIn offices with laptops and GPU clusters to potentially host Altman's team if his OpenAI return fails. However, sources indicate Microsoft's priority remains reinstating Altman as OpenAI CEO.
OpenAI董事会考虑与Anthropic合并
知情人士称，OpenAI董事会与大型语言模型开发商Anthropic的联合创始人兼首席执行官达里奥·阿莫代伊（Dario Amodei）接洽，讨论两家公司合并的可能性。但阿莫代伊很快就拒绝了提议。
11月21日
奥特曼与临时首席执行官谈判
知情人士称，奥特曼、谢尔和至少一名董事会成员亚当·德安杰洛（Adam D’Angelo）之间正在进行讨论。会谈还涉及OpenAI的一些投资者。
一位人士表示，公司正努力在感恩节（11月23日）前解决围绕公司领导层的混乱局面，希望员工在假期期间不会对工作状况感到不确定。
奥特曼与董事会成员矛盾曝光
知情人士透露，奥特曼与董事会成员海伦·托纳（Helen Toner）此前发生冲突。她在10月发表了一篇学术论文，宣传OpenAI竞争对手Anthropic的安全实践，奥特曼与她对质，称她损害了公司。
奥特曼归来
OpenAI在社交媒体上宣布，已经原则上达成协议，奥特曼重返公司担任CEO，“并组建由布雷特·泰勒（主席）、拉里·萨默斯和亚当·德安杰洛组成的新董事会。我们正在合作找出细节。非常感谢你对此的耐心等待。”