OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has opened up about the chaotic aftermath of his brief ouster from the company in November 2023, describing the situation as a “house on fire” that left him with a “complete mess” to clean up. In a candid interview with Bloomberg published Sunday, Altman reflected on the tumultuous period following his controversial removal and swift reinstatement as CEO of the ChatGPT maker.
On November 17, 2023, OpenAI’s board abruptly removed Altman, stating he “was not consistently candid in his communications with the board.” However, the board provided no further details about the specific reasons behind the firing. The decision sparked immediate backlash from OpenAI employees, who protested en masse. Just five days later, Altman was reinstated as CEO following the employee uprising.
According to Altman, the situation deteriorated rapidly during his absence. “And it got worse every day. It was like another government investigation, another old board member leaking fake news to the press,” he told Bloomberg. He expressed frustration with those responsible for his removal, stating: “And all those people that I feel like really fucked me and fucked the company were gone, and now I had to clean up their mess.”
The November 2023 board consisted of six members: Altman, fellow cofounders Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever, Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, AI researcher Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley, an entrepreneur and RAND Corporation researcher. Four board members—Sutskever, D’Angelo, Toner, and McCauley—voted for Altman’s removal. Of these four, only D’Angelo remained on the board following Altman’s return.
The leadership turmoil triggered a wave of high-profile departures from OpenAI. Ilya Sutskever left his position as chief scientist in May 2024, along with Jan Leike, his co-lead for OpenAI’s superalignment team, who joined rival Anthropic. In August, cofounder John Schulman also departed for Anthropic, followed by Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati in September.
Meanwhile, OpenAI is undergoing significant structural changes. The company is currently in talks with California’s attorney general’s office about converting from its original nonprofit status to a for-profit entity. Founded as a nonprofit research organization in 2015, OpenAI closed a massive $6.6 billion funding round in October, valuing the company at $157 billion.
Key Quotes
And it got worse every day. It was like another government investigation, another old board member leaking fake news to the press.
Sam Altman described the deteriorating situation during his brief ouster from OpenAI, revealing the contentious atmosphere and alleged information leaks that complicated his return as CEO.
And all those people that I feel like really fucked me and fucked the company were gone, and now I had to clean up their mess.
Altman expressed his frustration with the board members who voted for his removal, though he did not specify which individuals he was referring to in his Bloomberg interview.
It was just a crazy thing to have to go through and then have no time to recover, because the house was on fire.
The OpenAI CEO characterized the immediate challenges he faced upon returning to leadership, suggesting the company was in crisis mode with urgent problems requiring immediate attention.
Our Take
Altman’s unusually candid remarks reveal the deep scars left by OpenAI’s governance crisis and suggest unresolved tensions about the company’s direction. His characterization of the situation as a “complete mess” and “house on fire” is striking given OpenAI’s public success with ChatGPT and its massive valuation. The exodus of safety-focused leaders to Anthropic is particularly concerning, potentially indicating that OpenAI’s rapid commercialization may be prioritized over careful AI alignment work. The timing of these revelations—as OpenAI pursues for-profit status—raises questions about whether the company’s original mission of ensuring AI benefits humanity is being compromised. Altman’s willingness to publicly criticize former board members, while understandable given the circumstances, also suggests the wounds from this episode remain fresh and may continue influencing the company’s culture and decision-making.
Why This Matters
This story reveals the internal tensions and governance challenges facing one of the world’s most influential AI companies at a critical moment in the technology’s development. OpenAI’s leadership crisis exposed fundamental disagreements about the company’s direction, safety priorities, and commercialization strategy—issues that have broader implications for the entire AI industry.
The mass exodus of key technical leaders, particularly those focused on AI safety and alignment, raises questions about OpenAI’s commitment to responsible AI development as it pursues aggressive commercialization. The departure of figures like Sutskever, Leike, and Schulman to rival Anthropic suggests potential philosophical differences about balancing profit motives with safety concerns.
OpenAI’s proposed transition to a for-profit structure represents a pivotal shift for a company originally founded on principles of open research and public benefit. With a $157 billion valuation, the stakes have never been higher, and Altman’s comments suggest the company is still grappling with the aftermath of its governance crisis. This internal turmoil occurs as OpenAI faces intensifying competition and increasing scrutiny over AI safety, making stable leadership crucial for the industry’s future trajectory.
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Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-previous-openai-board-left-him-with-complete-mess-2025-1