History of Sam Altman in Timeline
Samuel Harris Altman is a prominent figure in the tech industry, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence. As CEO of OpenAI, he leads the development of advanced AI technologies. Altman's entrepreneurial journey began with founding Loopt, a mobile social networking platform. He later joined Y Combinator, a renowned startup accelerator, where he served as president and played a key role in fostering the growth of numerous successful companies.
April 22, 1985: Birth of Sam Altman
Sam Altman was born on April 22, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois.
2005: Sam Altman Drops Out of Stanford and Co-founds Loopt
In 2005, Sam Altman dropped out of Stanford University and co-founded Loopt, a location-based social networking app.
2005: Sam Altman Co-founds Loopt
In 2005, at age 19, Sam Altman co-founded Loopt, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit early on.
2008: Recognized as One of the "Best Young Entrepreneurs in Technology"
Businessweek named Altman one of the "Best Young Entrepreneurs in Technology" in 2008.
2011: Sam Altman Joins Y Combinator
Sam Altman joined Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, in 2011, marking the beginning of his significant influence in the startup world.
2011: Sam Altman Joins Y Combinator
Sam Altman's journey in the startup world took a significant turn when he joined Y Combinator in 2011.
March 2012: Loopt Acquired by Green Dot Corporation
In March 2012, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation, marking a significant exit for Altman and his team.
2012: Breakup with Nick Sivo
Altman, who is openly gay, ended his nine-year relationship with Loopt co-founder Nick Sivo shortly after Loopt was acquired in 2012.
February 2014: Sam Altman Named President of Y Combinator
Sam Altman's influence in the startup world grew when he was named president of Y Combinator in February 2014.
2014: Sam Altman Becomes President of Y Combinator
Sam Altman was appointed as the president of Y Combinator in 2014, taking on a leadership role in shaping the future of startups.
2014: Sam Altman Briefly Serves as Reddit CEO
For a brief period in 2014, Sam Altman served as the CEO of Reddit after the previous CEO resigned.
July 10, 2015: Steve Huffman Returns as Reddit CEO
Sam Altman announced the return of Steve Huffman as Reddit CEO on July 10, 2015, after a short stint as CEO himself.
October 2015: Launch of YC Continuity and Y Combinator Research
Under Altman's leadership, YC Continuity, a $700 million fund, and Y Combinator Research, a non-profit research lab, were launched in October 2015.
2015: Ranked as Top Investor Under 30 by Forbes
In 2015, Forbes magazine acknowledged Altman's investment acumen by ranking him as the top investor under 30.
2015: OpenAI Founded
OpenAI was founded in 2015 with significant funding from prominent figures like Elon Musk and Sam Altman himself.
September 2016: Sam Altman Expands Role at YC Group
Sam Altman took on an expanded role as president of YC Group in September 2016, aiming to fund a wider range of startups.
2016: Expresses Apocalypse Preparedness Views
Altman openly shared his views on apocalypse preparedness in 2016, revealing he possesses resources like "guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks from the Israel Defense Forces, and a big patch of land in Big Sur." This statement offered a glimpse into his preparedness mindset.
2016: First Invitation to the Bilderberg Meeting
Altman received his first invitation to attend the Bilderberg Meeting, a private annual conference, in 2016, marking his entry into a circle of influential figures.
2017: Receives Honorary Doctorate from University of Waterloo
Altman received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in Canada in 2017 for his support of companies through its Velocity entrepreneurship program.
2018: Considered for California Governor and Launches "The United Slate"
Recode reported Altman's potential candidacy for Governor of California in 2018, although he didn't enter the race. That same year, he launched "The United Slate," a political project aimed at improving housing and healthcare policy.
March 2019: Sam Altman Becomes CEO of OpenAI
Sam Altman's dedication to AI led him to become the full-time CEO of OpenAI in March 2019.
March 2019: Sam Altman Transitions to Chairman at Y Combinator
Sam Altman transitioned to the role of chairman at Y Combinator in March 2019 to dedicate more time to OpenAI.
2019: Sam Altman Becomes CEO of OpenAI and Founds Tools For Humanity
In 2019, Sam Altman became the CEO of OpenAI and co-founded Tools For Humanity, a company focused on digital identity using eye-scanning technology.
2019: Sam Altman Co-founds Tools For Humanity
Driven by his interest in innovative technologies, Sam Altman co-founded Tools For Humanity in 2019 to explore digital identity solutions.
2019: Hosts Fundraiser for Andrew Yang
In 2019, Altman demonstrated his political engagement by hosting a fundraiser at his San Francisco residence for Andrew Yang, who was running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020.
May 2020: Donates to American Bridge 21st Century
Altman donated $250,000 to American Bridge 21st Century, a super-PAC supporting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, in May 2020.
2020: Sam Altman Departs from Y Combinator
By early 2020, Sam Altman was no longer affiliated with YC, marking the end of his formal role at the accelerator.
March 2021: Co-founds AltC Acquisition Corp
In March 2021, Sam Altman co-founded AltC Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), with investment banker Michael Klein.
2021: Public Accusations from Sister
In 2021, Altman faced serious public accusations from his sister, Annie, who alleged "sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, and financial abuse" on Twitter.
2021: Sam Altman Invests in Reddit's Funding Round
Sam Altman participated in Reddit's funding round in 2021, demonstrating his continued interest in the platform.
2022: Attends the Bilderberg Meeting
Altman was invited back to the Bilderberg Meeting again in 2022.
2022: Sam Altman Leaves Reddit Board
Sam Altman's involvement with Reddit continued until 2022 when he stepped down from the board.
March 2023: Sam Altman Provides Capital During Silicon Valley Bank Run
Sam Altman stepped up to support startups by providing capital during the Silicon Valley Bank run in March 2023.
May 2023: Sam Altman's World Tour for AI Advocacy
Following ChatGPT's success, Sam Altman embarked on a world tour in May 2023, meeting global leaders to discuss AI's potential and challenges.
May 16, 2023: Sam Altman Testifies Before the US Senate
Sam Altman testified before the US Senate on May 16, 2023, regarding AI oversight, reflecting the growing importance of AI regulation.
September 2023: Receives Indonesia's First "Golden Visa"
In September 2023, the Indonesian government granted Altman its first-ever "golden visa," a special 10-year border pass, in recognition of his contributions.
November 2023: Sam Altman's Reinstatement at OpenAI
After being briefly fired, Sam Altman was reinstated as CEO of OpenAI in November 2023 following employee backlash and negotiations.
November 17, 2023: Sam Altman Removed as CEO of OpenAI
In a surprising turn of events, Sam Altman was removed as CEO of OpenAI on November 17, 2023, by the company's board.
2023: Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People and CEO of the Year
In 2023, Time magazine recognized Altman's impact by naming him one of the 100 most influential people in the world and awarding him the title of CEO of the Year.
January 2024: Marriage to Oliver Mulherin
In January 2024, Altman married engineer Oliver Mulherin. The ceremony took place at their estate in Hawaii. The couple resides in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood and frequently spends weekends in Napa, California.
February 2024: Lawsuit with Elon Musk and OpenAI Dispute
In late February 2024, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, alleging breaches of the company's founding agreement. Musk claimed OpenAI was prioritizing profit over its mission to benefit humanity. Altman and OpenAI executives refuted these claims, stating Musk's investment fell short of his $1 billion commitment. They also alleged Musk proposed merging OpenAI with Tesla, which they saw as detrimental to OpenAI's mission.
March 8, 2024: Sam Altman Rejoins OpenAI Board of Directors
After a review by a law firm, Sam Altman rejoined the board of directors at OpenAI on March 8, 2024, further solidifying his connection to the company.
March 2024: Joins Bloomberg Billionaires Index
In March 2024, Altman's success in venture capital, particularly with Hydrazine Capital, propelled him onto the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with an estimated net worth of $2 billion.
May 2024: Oklo Inc. Merger and Chairman Role
In May 2024, Oklo Inc., a company Altman was involved with, merged with AltC Acquisition Corp to become a public company. Following the merger, Altman assumed the role of chairman of Oklo.
2024: Awarded the Annual Experiment Cup by Xfund
In 2024, Altman was granted the annual Experiment Cup by Xfund at an event held at Harvard University.
2024: Reddit's Initial Public Offering
Prior to Reddit's IPO in 2024, Sam Altman was listed as a significant shareholder, highlighting his successful investments in the company.