The Big Take

A Founder’s Story: Sam Altman and OpenAI

On today’s Big Take: Who is Sam Altman, OpenAI’s controversial CEO? And should he be trusted to lead the development of generative AI?

A Bloomberg West television interview with Altman as president of Y Combinator in 2014. — A *Bloomberg West* television interview with Altman as president of Y Combinator in 2014.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

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By Ellen Huet, Shawn Wen, David Gura, Kim Gittleson, and Thomas Lu

June 5, 2024 at 5:26 PM EDT

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The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, has become one of the most prominent leaders in the development of artificial intelligence. But some people – including current and former OpenAI employees – have questioned how trustworthy Altman is, and whether he is doing enough to inform the public about the technology.