Samuel Harris Altman is an American entrepreneur, investor, and the CEO of OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research company, since 2019. He also serves as chairman for two clean energy companies, Oklo Inc. and Helion Energy. His leadership roles in both the tech and energy sectors highlight his diverse interests and focus on future-oriented industries. Altman's involvement with OpenAI positions him at the forefront of AI development, while his chairmanship of Oklo and Helion demonstrates a commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
2005: Sam Altman co-founds Loopt
In 2005, Sam Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-based social networking mobile application.
2005: Sam Altman drops out of Stanford University
In 2005, Sam Altman dropped out of Stanford University after two years of studying computer science.
2008: Businessweek Recognizes Altman
Sam Altman was named one of the "Best Young Entrepreneurs in Technology" by Businessweek in 2008.
2011: Sam Altman becomes a partner at Y Combinator
Sam Altman became a partner at Y Combinator in 2011.
2011: Sam Altman joins Y Combinator
Sam Altman joined Y Combinator in 2011.
March 2012: Loopt is acquired by Green Dot Corporation
In March 2012, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation.
April 2012: Sam Altman co-founds Hydrazine Capital
Sam Altman co-founded Hydrazine Capital with his brother, Jack Altman, in April 2012.
2012: Altman and Sivo Break Up
Sam Altman and Nick Sivo, co-founder of Loopt, ended their nine-year relationship in 2012, shortly after Loopt was acquired.
February 2014: Sam Altman is named president of Y Combinator
Sam Altman was named president of Y Combinator in February 2014.
2014: Sam Altman becomes president of Y Combinator
In 2014, Sam Altman became the president of Y Combinator.
2014: Altman's Brief Stint as Reddit CEO
In 2014, Sam Altman served as the CEO of Reddit for eight days following the resignation of Yishan Wong.
July 10, 2015: Return of Steve Huffman as Reddit CEO
On July 10, 2015, Sam Altman announced Steve Huffman's return as CEO of Reddit.
October 2015: Launch of YC Continuity and Y Combinator Research
In October 2015, Sam Altman announced the launch of YC Continuity, a $700 million equity fund, and Y Combinator Research, a non-profit research lab.
2015: OpenAI raises $1 billion
OpenAI raised $1 billion in 2015.
2015: Forbes Recognizes Altman
Forbes magazine listed Sam Altman as the top investor under 30 in 2015.
September 2016: Sam Altman becomes president of YC Group
In September 2016, Sam Altman's role expanded as he became president of YC Group.
2016: Altman's Preparedness Measures
In 2016, Sam Altman revealed his preparedness measures for potential apocalyptic scenarios, which include various supplies and a piece of land in Big Sur.
2016: Altman Attends Bilderberg Meeting
Sam Altman was invited to and attended the Bilderberg Meeting in 2016.
2017: Honorary Doctorate from University of Waterloo
Sam Altman received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in 2017.
2018: Altman Contemplates Running for Governor and Launches "The United Slate"
In 2018, Sam Altman considered running for governor of California and introduced "the United Slate", a political project focused on housing and healthcare policy.
March 2019: Sam Altman becomes CEO of OpenAI
Sam Altman left Y Combinator and became the full-time CEO of OpenAI in March 2019.
March 2019: Sam Altman transitions to chairman of YC board
Sam Altman transitioned from president to chairman of the YC board in March 2019.
2019: Sam Altman becomes CEO of OpenAI
In 2019, Sam Altman became the CEO of OpenAI.
2019: Co-founding of Tools For Humanity
Sam Altman co-founded Tools For Humanity in 2019, a company focused on developing Worldcoin, a cryptocurrency project.
2019: Altman Hosts Fundraiser for Andrew Yang
Sam Altman hosted a fundraiser at his home for Andrew Yang's 2020 presidential campaign in 2019.
2019: Sam Altman's tenure as president of Y Combinator ends
Sam Altman's time as president of Y Combinator concluded in 2019.
May 2020: Altman Donates to Joe Biden Campaign
Sam Altman donated $250,000 to a super PAC supporting Joe Biden's presidential campaign in May 2020.
2020: Sam Altman's affiliation with YC ends
By early 2020, Sam Altman was no longer affiliated with YC.
March 2021: Co-founding of AltC Acquisition Corp
Sam Altman and Michael Klein co-founded the special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) AltC Acquisition Corp in March 2021.
2021: Altman Invests in Reddit
Sam Altman participated in a funding round for Reddit in 2021.
2021: "Moore's Law for Everything" Blog Post
In 2021, Sam Altman published a blog post titled "Moore's Law for Everything", expressing his belief in AI's potential to generate substantial universal basic income (UBI) within a decade.
2022: Altman Attends Bilderberg Meeting
Sam Altman attended the Bilderberg Meeting in 2022.
2022: Altman Leaves Reddit Board
Sam Altman stepped down from Reddit's board in 2022.
May 2023: Sam Altman's world tour
Following the success of ChatGPT, Sam Altman embarked on a world tour in May 2023, meeting with various world leaders.
May 16, 2023: Sam Altman testifies before the US Senate
Sam Altman testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on May 16, 2023, regarding AI oversight.
September 2023: Altman Receives Indonesia's First "Golden Visa"
Sam Altman was granted Indonesia's first 10-year "golden visa" in September 2023.
November 2023: Sam Altman's brief dismissal and reinstatement at OpenAI
In November 2023, Sam Altman was briefly dismissed from his role as CEO of OpenAI, but he was later reinstated.
November 2023: Rationale for Altman's firing revealed
In May 2024, information regarding the rationale behind Altman's firing from OpenAI in November 2023 was revealed by former board member Helen Toner. She stated that he withheld information and two executives had reported "psychological abuse" by Altman.
November 17, 2023: Sam Altman removed as CEO of OpenAI
OpenAI's board removed Sam Altman from his position as CEO on November 17, 2023.
2023: Altman Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People
In 2023, Time magazine recognized Sam Altman as one of the world's 100 most influential people and CEO of the year. He was also included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in AI.
January 2024: Altman Marries Oliver Mulherin
Sam Altman married Oliver Mulherin in January 2024 in Hawaii.
February 2024: Musk Sues OpenAI and Altman
Elon Musk sued OpenAI and Sam Altman in late February 2024, claiming a breach of the company's founding agreement. OpenAI executives, including Altman, refuted Musk's claims, stating Musk contributed only $45 million of his pledged $1 billion and had proposed merging OpenAI with Tesla.
March 8, 2024: Not included due to knowledge cutoff
This entry is not included because it refers to events after November 2023.
March 2024: Altman Debuts on Bloomberg Billionaires Index
In March 2024, Sam Altman appeared on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with an estimated net worth of $2 billion, mainly from his venture capital funds connected to Hydrazine Capital.
May 2024: Altman and Mulherin Sign Giving Pledge
Sam Altman and Oliver Mulherin pledged to donate the majority of their wealth by signing the Giving Pledge in May 2024.
May 2024: Not included due to knowledge cutoff
This entry is not included because it refers to events after November 2023.
May 2024: Oklo Inc.'s Merger with AltC Acquisition Corp
Oklo Inc. merged with AltC Acquisition Corp in May 2024, becoming a public company. Altman continued as chairman of Oklo.
November 18, 2024: Altman Joins San Francisco Mayor-Elect's Transition Team
Sam Altman was appointed to San Francisco Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie's transition team on November 18, 2024.
December 2024: Altman's Donation to Trump Inaugural Fund
Reports in December 2024 indicated Sam Altman would donate $1 million to President Donald Trump's Inaugural Fund.
2024: Altman Suggests "Universal Basic Compute"
Sam Altman proposed "universal basic compute" in 2024, suggesting providing everyone with access to ChatGPT's computing power.
2024: Altman Awarded the Experiment Cup
Xfund presented Sam Altman with the annual Experiment Cup at Harvard University in 2024.
2024: Altman Again Named One of Time's 100 Most Influential People in AI
Sam Altman was again included on Time's list of the 100 most influential people in AI in 2024.
2024: Reddit's IPO and Altman's Shareholding
Before Reddit's initial public offering in 2024, Sam Altman was its third-largest shareholder, owning about 9% of the company.
January 2025: Sam Altman's net worth reaches $1.1 billion
As of January 2025, Sam Altman's net worth was estimated at $1.1 billion.
January 2025: Ann Altman's Lawsuit
Sam Altman's sister, Ann Altman, filed a lawsuit in January 2025 alleging sexual abuse. Sam Altman, along with his mother and brothers, publicly denied the allegations.