OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is set to return as chief executive just days after being dismissed by the board, the company announced. The agreement in principle includes the appointment of new board members, with former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor and former US treasury secretary Larry Summers joining current director Adam D'Angelo.
Altman's firing on Friday sparked industry-wide surprise and led to threats of mass resignations from staff, with more than 700 employees signing an open letter demanding his reinstatement. Co-founder Greg Brockman, who resigned in protest, also confirmed he would return to the firm. In a statement on X, Altman said he loved OpenAI and had worked to keep the team and mission together.
The board's decision was made by three non-employee directors and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who later apologised and signed the staff letter. Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest investor, had offered Altman a role leading a new AI research team, but the tech giant welcomed the reinstatement. Microsoft boss Satya Nadella said the changes were a first step toward more stable governance.
Interim CEO Emmett Shear expressed delight at Altman's return after 72 hours of intense work. Staff reactions were largely positive, with employee Cory Decareaux describing the episode as unprecedented and a testament to united company culture. However, analysts noted potential long-term damage to OpenAI's reputation and recruitment.
The upheaval has raised questions about how a small board could upend a multibillion-dollar firm, partly due to OpenAI's unique non-profit origins and mission to create safe artificial general intelligence. The exact reasons for Altman's firing remain unclear, with the board citing a lack of candour.
