OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly credited venture capitalist Ron Conway and Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky with preventing the AI company’s collapse during his dramatic 2023 ouster. In a reflective blog post published Sunday titled “Reflections,” Altman revealed that the two executives “went so far above and beyond the call of duty” that OpenAI likely would have fallen apart without their intervention.
The crisis began on November 17, 2023, when OpenAI’s board abruptly fired Altman as CEO, citing that he “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.” The decision sparked immediate backlash, with nearly all of OpenAI’s staff threatening to resign if Altman wasn’t reinstated. Just five days later, on November 22, 2023, Altman returned to his position as CEO.
During those tumultuous days, Conway and Chesky emerged as Altman’s most crucial allies. “I am reasonably confident OpenAI would have fallen apart without their help; they worked around the clock for days until things were done,” Altman wrote. The pair provided strategic advice, prevented Altman from making critical mistakes, and leveraged their extensive networks to support him during the crisis.
According to The New York Times, when Altman briefly considered launching a competing AI startup, Conway and Chesky discouraged him, with Chesky urging: “You should be willing to fight back at least a little more.” This advice proved pivotal in Altman’s decision to fight for his reinstatement rather than walk away.
Conway publicly condemned the board’s decision on social media, comparing it to Apple’s 1985 ouster of Steve Jobs and calling it “shocking” and “irresponsible.” He later told Time magazine that the board had fired Altman for “nitpicky, unfireable, not even close to fireable offenses.”
The relationships between these three tech leaders run deep. Conway was a guest speaker in Altman’s Stanford startup class in 2014, while Altman mentored Chesky when Airbnb participated in Y Combinator, the startup accelerator Altman previously led. This crisis tested those bonds and revealed what Altman called a level of support he had “never before seen, or even heard of” in the tech industry.
Key Quotes
Ron Conway and Brian Chesky went so far above and beyond the call of duty that I’m not even sure how to describe it.
Sam Altman wrote this in his blog post reflecting on his 2023 ouster from OpenAI, emphasizing the extraordinary support he received from the venture capitalist and Airbnb CEO during the crisis.
I am reasonably confident OpenAI would have fallen apart without their help; they worked around the clock for days until things were done.
Altman’s stark assessment reveals how close OpenAI came to collapse during his five-day removal as CEO, highlighting the critical role Conway and Chesky played in stabilizing the situation.
What happened at OpenAI today is a Board coup that we have not seen the likes of since 1985 when the then-Apple board pushed out Steve Jobs. It is shocking; it is irresponsible; and it does not do right by Sam & Greg or all the builders in OpenAI.
Ron Conway posted this on social media immediately after Altman’s firing, publicly condemning the board’s decision and drawing parallels to one of Silicon Valley’s most infamous leadership controversies.
It is reckless and irresponsible for a board to fire a founder over emotional reasons.
Conway told Time magazine in December 2023 that the board had fired Altman for “nitpicky, unfireable, not even close to fireable offenses,” criticizing the decision-making process that led to the crisis.
Our Take
Altman’s public acknowledgment of Conway and Chesky’s role reveals how perilously close OpenAI came to implosion during what many considered the most dramatic leadership crisis in AI history. This wasn’t just corporate drama—it was a potential inflection point that could have fundamentally altered the trajectory of AI development globally. The fact that two outsiders with deep Silicon Valley connections proved more instrumental than internal mechanisms speaks to governance vulnerabilities that likely still exist within OpenAI. The episode also demonstrates the concentration of power and influence in AI, where a handful of well-connected individuals can determine outcomes affecting billions. As AI companies face increasing scrutiny over safety, ethics, and control, this story serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of institutions developing humanity’s most powerful technology. The personal loyalty networks that saved OpenAI may not be replicable or desirable as the industry matures.
Why This Matters
This revelation provides unprecedented insight into the internal dynamics and fragility of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and one of the most influential AI organizations in the world. The near-collapse of OpenAI during Altman’s five-day ouster highlights how leadership stability remains critical in the rapidly evolving AI industry, where billions of dollars in investment and the future direction of artificial intelligence hang in the balance.
The story underscores the importance of personal relationships and networks in Silicon Valley’s AI ecosystem, demonstrating how individual actors can determine the fate of companies shaping transformative technology. Conway and Chesky’s intervention prevented what could have been a catastrophic fracturing of OpenAI, potentially splitting the AI talent pool and creating competing factions.
For the broader AI industry, this episode reveals the governance challenges facing AI companies as they balance rapid innovation with responsible oversight. The board’s decision and subsequent reversal raised questions about AI company governance that remain relevant today as these organizations wield increasing influence over society and the economy. The incident also demonstrates how founder-CEO relationships with boards can make or break AI companies at critical junctures.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/altman-openai-fall-apart-without-ron-conway-brian-chesky-2025-1