Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI - CNBC

Sam Altman (born 22 April 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, United States) is an American entrepreneur who served as president of the startup accelerator Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019 and has been CEO of the artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI since 2019.

YOUTH AND EDUCATION

Stanford University, which Sam Altman left without completing his degree - Founderoo

Samuel Harris Altman was born on 22 April 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, to a Jewish family. His mother, Connie Gibstine, was a dermatologist and his father, Jerry Altman, was a real estate agent. Sam Altman, the eldest of four siblings, grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He showed an early aptitude for numbers and calculations. At the age of eight, he acquired his first Apple Macintosh computer to learn programming and disassemble computer hardware. He began his education at John Burroughs School, a private school in Ladue, Missouri. In 2003, Altman enrolled at Stanford University to study computer science. Two years later, at the age of 19, he dropped out without completing his undergraduate degree to focus on his first venture, Loopt, a location-based social network he co-founded. Sam Altman gained popularity among Silicon Valley investors such as Y Combinator, Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates, who invested over $30 million in the idea. However, in 2012, after failing to attract sufficient users, he sold Loopt to Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million in cash.

CAREER AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Y Combinator (YC): Fueling Startups

Sam Altman served as president of the startup accelerator Y Combinator - Ifanr

In 2011, Altman became a part-time partner at the startup accelerator Y Combinator (YC). Three years later, YC’s founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston asked Altman to succeed Graham as president, a role he accepted. In 2012, Altman co-founded Hydrazine Capital with his brother Jack Altman, focusing on early-stage technology investments. Under Sam Altman’s leadership, Y Combinator evolved into a premier incubator nurturing major startups. In 2019, Altman stepped down as president of Y Combinator to focus on OpenAI. By the time he left Y Combinator in early 2020 amid rumors of his removal and subsequent reappointment as president, Y Combinator had supported nearly 1,900 companies including Airbnb, Instacart, DoorDash, Reddit and Twitch.

OpenAI: A Visionary Response to the Birth of Artificial General Intelligence

Sam Altman speaking - CHIP

As Altman’s influence in the entrepreneurial world grew, he became involved in an even more ambitious project destined to shape the future of artificial intelligence. In 2015, while still part of Y Combinator, he co-founded OpenAI with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.

The company aimed to develop friendly AI that benefits humanity and received $1 billion in funding from its founders and technology giants such as Microsoft. For four years, OpenAI focused primarily on research before launching its first products.

Under Altman’s leadership, OpenAI transitioned in 2022 from a non-profit organization to a “capped-profit” entity and began licensing its technologies in 2020. The release of GPT-3 in 2020 showcased OpenAI’s capabilities in natural language processing.

This was followed by DALL-E in 2021, which demonstrated the ability to generate images from text prompts. These advancements led to a major investment by Microsoft in 2023, estimated at $13 billion.

In 2023, OpenAI launched GPT-4, announcing it was “ten times more advanced” than its predecessor GPT-3.5. The release of GPT-4 marked a turning point that solidified OpenAI’s reputation as a leader in AI development. This innovation was followed by further improvements to older AI models and the launch of alternatives such as Canvas Mini and Turbo in 2024, expanding OpenAI’s portfolio of AI technologies.

Removal and Return as OpenAI CEO

Sam Altman was briefly removed from his position as OpenAI CEO - LinkedIn

November 2023 was a turbulent period for Altman at OpenAI; the board removed him citing a lack of confidence in his leadership and transparency. However, this decision faced strong internal opposition.

Approximately 95% of OpenAI employees threatened to resign if Altman was not reinstated, underscoring the deep respect and admiration he commanded. This movement prompted a reassessment of leadership strategy and led to the formation of a new board comprising Bret Taylor as chair, alongside Larry Summers and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo.

Other Ventures and Achievements

Sam Altman’s contributions extend beyond AI innovation. As chairman of Helion Energy and Oklo Inc., he directs efforts toward pioneering nuclear fusion and fission technologies, reflecting his commitment to sustainable energy solutions. Helion Energy is developing a fusion reactor capable of providing an unlimited source of clean energy. Meanwhile, Oklo Inc. focuses on small modular reactors that promise more flexible and safer nuclear energy options.

Through Hydrazine Capital, the venture fund he co-founded with his brother, Altman supported startups such as Airbnb and Stripe, significantly influencing the technology sector. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he supported Project Covalence, which accelerated clinical trials. His leadership helped facilitate Oklo Inc.’s successful merger with a SPAC in 2024, and he continues to serve as its chairman.

Altman’s impact is recognized globally. In 2017, he received an honorary Doctorate of Engineering from the University of Waterloo for his support of emerging technology companies. His awards include being named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2023 and 2024, being named CEO of the Year in 2023, and being listed in Businessweek’s “Best Young Entrepreneurs in Technology” in 2008. Forbes also ranked him among the best investors under 30 in 2015, highlighting his significant influence in venture capital.

PERSONAL LIFE

As of 2025, Altman has a net worth of $1.7 billion and is married. As a significant step toward philanthropy, the couple signed the Giving Pledge in May 2024, committing to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

SAM ALTMAN TODAY

Sam Altman alongside U.S. President Donald Trump, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son during the announcement of the Stargate Project - Ars Technica

As of 2024, Sam Altman continues to drive major advancements in artificial intelligence in his role as CEO of OpenAI, a position he has held for over five years. Under his leadership, OpenAI reached a staggering valuation of $300 billion following a major funding round led by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank in March 2025, placing it among the world’s most valuable private companies alongside SpaceX and ByteDance.

Altman clearly articulated his vision for the future of artificial intelligence in his September 2024 manifesto, “The Age of Intelligence.” In it, he predicts the emergence of superintelligence within a few thousand days and emphasizes AI’s transformative potential for society.

On 21 January 2025, the Trump administration announced a new AI infrastructure project called Stargate, led by the private sector and OpenAI. The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump assumed office. Trump generated significant attention by unveiling Stargate, a new public-private partnership with the potential to greatly influence AI innovation in the United States and beyond. Although many details remain unclear, Stargate plans to build up to 20 large AI data centers in the United States with an initial investment of $10 billion and aims to invest up to $500 billion by 2029. At the announcement, Sam Altman, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son accompanied Trump. These three executives serve as directors of the new joint venture. A fourth investor, MGX, an AI-focused investment fund controlled by the government of Abu Dhabi, is also participating. Alongside OpenAI and Oracle, major technology contributors to the project include Microsoft, Nvidia and Arm.