Sam Altman Returns as OpenAI CEO Today After Being Sacked on November 17

Last week, Sam Altman, the CEO/co-founder of OpenAI, was sacked after board members concluded that the CEO and some other top chiefs would have to resign from their positions following some internal crises.

However, after the sack of Sam Altman last Friday, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella invited Altman to join his team on Sunday evening, November 19. This offer was extended to other members fired during the recent layoff at OpenAI.

While tension cooled off, most employees at OpenAI threatened to quit on Monday if Altman was not reinstated, among other demands. 

This came after OpenAI Vice President of Global Affairs Anna Makanju sent a memo to staff saying the company had been in “intense discussions” with the board, Altman, and the acting CEO Shear to unify the company.

The report shows that the board had come under intense scrutiny for its decision to fire Altman, saying that the CEO was not “consistently candid in his communications.” Since then, board members and staffers have said that the CEO’s removal was unrelated to “malfeasance” or “safety,” leaving an information vacuum. Satya Nadella, CEO of OpenAI’s largest investor, Microsoft Corp., has said publicly that he has not been explained.

What Is the Reason for Sam Altman’s Removal as OpenAI CEO?

Sam Altman, the brain behind ChatGPT's firing, said it was due to a “breakdown in communication between Sam and the board” and not “malfeasance,” Chief Operating Officer (COO) Brad Lightcap said in an internal memo.

What Is OpenAI Saying About Reinstating Sam Altman as Its CEO?

OpenAI posted on X, formerly Twitter, acknowledging the board's decision to reinstate Sam Altman as the CEO. 

The post of ‘X’ reads,

We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.

Some minutes after the release, Sam Altman also posted on his verified handle on ‘X’ about his comeback as the CEO of OpenAI.

The post on ‘X’ reads,

i love openai, and everything i’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. when i decided to join msft on sun evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. with the new board and w satya’s support, i’m looking forward to returning to openai, and building on our strong partnership with msft.