In a surprising turn of events, Sam Altman, the former CEO of OpenAI, is set to return to his role within a mere five days of his abrupt dismissal.
The announcement comes after an uncertain period marked by employee backlash and threats of mass resignations following Altman’s removal.
The controversy erupted last Friday when Altman was ousted by the board of directors, triggering a wave of discontent among the company’s workforce, with nearly 70% of its 770 employees threatening to resign unless Altman was reinstated.
Today, OpenAI disclosed an agreement to reappoint Sam Altman as CEO, alongside the appointment of new board members. The company revealed the new lineup: Bret Taylor as Chair, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. While the finer details are being worked out, OpenAI expressed gratitude for the patience exhibited by all parties during this period.
In response to this development, Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his sentiments, stating,
“i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft.”
i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m…
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 22, 2023
Throughout the saga, the board members who advocated Altman’s removal refrained from disclosing specific reasons for their decision, even amidst potential legal threats from investors.
However, on Sunday, a board member, Ilya Sutskever, shifted allegiance back to Altman’s side, leaving the remaining three board members in a vulnerable position.
The reinstatement of Altman and the reshuffling of the board marks an important moment for OpenAI, ending a period of uncertainty and internal strife that threatened the organization’s stability and mission.
