Sam Altman is set to resume the role of CEO at OpenAI, triumphing over a recent attempt to remove him that plunged the company into disarray.
OpenAI announced an "agreement in principle" for Altman's return, unveiling a new board featuring Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo, with D’Angelo being a holdover from the previous board.
Altman's sudden exit on Friday was met with resistance from OpenAI employees, leading to a boardroom struggle and threats of defection to Microsoft if the board did not resign.
Sam Altman's reinstatement as CEO of OpenAI comes as a shocking development following his sudden departure just days ago.
The initial decision to remove Sam Altman sparked a series of rapid CEO changes, intensifying the internal turmoil.
Sam Altman posted on his X account (formerly known as Twitter):
OpenAI Co-Founder Greg Brockman reposted OpenAI's post on his X account:
In the midst of the turmoil, OpenAI's board encountered resistance from employees who protested against Altman's ousting.
The employees issued a threat to defect to Microsoft, aligning themselves with Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman, unless the board chose to resign.
Throughout the saga, the board members opposing Altman remained tight-lipped about the reasons for his dismissal.
The boardroom struggles witnessed Ilya Sutskever, a key member who initially opposed Altman, switched sides on Sunday.
This move left the remaining three board members in a more vulnerable position, contributing to the agreement that welcomes Altman back as CEO.
With the agreement in principle, OpenAI aims to bring stability to its leadership, ending a tumultuous period marked by swift CEO changes and internal unrest.
The return of Sam Altman, combined with the new board composition, signals a shift in OpenAI's direction and attempts to address the concerns raised by employees during the recent chaos.