History of Sam Altman in Timeline

Sam Altman is an American entrepreneur, investor, and the current CEO of OpenAI since 2019. He is a prominent figure in the field of artificial intelligence, particularly known for leading one of the most influential AI research and deployment companies. His leadership at OpenAI has placed him at the forefront of the AI boom, shaping discussions and developments in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI technology.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

April 22, 1985: Sam Altman Born

On April 22, 1985, Samuel Harris Altman was born. He is an American entrepreneur, investor, and the CEO of OpenAI.

Others born on this day/year

2005: Altman Drops Out of Stanford

In 2005, after studying computer science for two years at Stanford University, Sam Altman dropped out without completing his bachelor's degree.

2005: Altman Co-founds Loopt

In 2005, at the age of 19, Sam Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-based social networking mobile application, marking his early entry into the tech startup scene.

2011: Altman Becomes Partner at Y Combinator

In 2011, Sam Altman became a partner at Y Combinator (YC), a startup accelerator, marking a significant step in his involvement with early-stage tech companies.

2011: Altman Joins Y Combinator

In 2011, Sam Altman joined Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, marking a significant step in his career within the startup ecosystem.

March 2012: Green Dot Acquires Loopt

In March 2012, Loopt, co-founded by Sam Altman, was acquired by the Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million after failing to gain significant user traction.

April 2012: Altman Co-founds Hydrazine Capital

In April 2012, Sam Altman co-founded Hydrazine Capital with his brother, Jack Altman. This venture capital firm focuses on early-stage tech investments.

2012: Breakup with Nick Sivo

In 2012, Sam Altman ended his nine-year relationship with Nick Sivo, co-founder of Loopt, shortly after Loopt was acquired.

February 2014: Altman Named President of Y Combinator

In February 2014, Sam Altman was appointed as the president of Y Combinator (YC) by co-founder Paul Graham, solidifying his leadership role within the prominent startup accelerator.

2014: Altman Becomes President of Y Combinator

In 2014, Sam Altman assumed the role of president at Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, further solidifying his influence in the tech industry.

2014: Altman Briefly Serves as CEO of Reddit

In 2014, Sam Altman briefly served as the CEO of Reddit for eight days after the resignation of Yishan Wong.

July 10, 2015: Huffman Returns as Reddit CEO; Altman Remains on Board

On July 10, 2015, Steve Huffman returned as the CEO of Reddit, while Sam Altman remained on its board.

October 2015: Altman Announces YC Continuity and Y Combinator Research

In October 2015, Sam Altman announced two initiatives: YC Continuity, a $700 million equity fund for YC companies, and Y Combinator Research, a non-profit research lab established with $10 million of his own funds.

December 2015: Altman Co-founds OpenAI

In December 2015, Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization, with figures like Elon Musk and Jessica Livingston, aiming to develop friendly AI for humanity's benefit. The organization was initially funded with $1 billion in commitments.

2015: OpenAI Launches with $1 Billion Funding

In 2015, OpenAI launched with initial funding of $1 billion, supported by investors including Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others.

September 2016: Altman Becomes President of YC Group

In September 2016, Sam Altman's role expanded as he was named president of YC Group, encompassing Y Combinator and other related units.

2016: Describes apocalypse preparedness

In 2016, Sam Altman described his preparations for a potential apocalypse, including owning guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks, and land in Big Sur.

2018: Altman Announces The United Slate

In 2018, Sam Altman announced "the United Slate", a political project focused on improving U.S. housing and healthcare policy.

March 2019: Altman Leaves Y Combinator to Focus on OpenAI

In March 2019, Sam Altman transitioned from Y Combinator to focus full-time on his role as CEO of OpenAI.

March 2019: Altman Transitions to Chairman Role at YC

In March 2019, YC announced Sam Altman's transition from president to chairman of the board, a less hands-on role allowing him to prioritize OpenAI.

2019: Altman Becomes CEO of OpenAI

In 2019, Sam Altman became the chief executive officer of OpenAI, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2019: Altman Co-founds Tools For Humanity

In 2019, Sam Altman co-founded Tools For Humanity, a company focused on building systems to scan people's eyes for authentication and proof of personhood, compensating participants with the cryptocurrency Worldcoin.

2019: Altman Holds Fundraiser for Andrew Yang

In 2019, Sam Altman hosted a fundraiser at his home in San Francisco for Andrew Yang, who was a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.

2019: Altman Ends Presidency at Y Combinator

In 2019, Sam Altman's tenure as president of Y Combinator concluded, marking a shift in his focus towards other ventures.

May 2020: Altman Donates to American Bridge 21st Century

In May 2020, Sam Altman donated $250,000 to American Bridge 21st Century, a super PAC supporting Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

2020: Altman No Longer Affiliated with YC

By early 2020, Sam Altman was no longer affiliated with Y Combinator.

March 2021: Altman Co-founds AltC Acquisition Corp

In March 2021, Sam Altman and Michael Klein co-founded AltC Acquisition Corp, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), with Altman serving as CEO.

2021: Altman Invests in Reddit Funding Round

In 2021, Sam Altman invested in a funding round for Reddit.

2021: Altman Publishes "Moore's Law for Everything"

In 2021, Sam Altman published a blog post titled "Moore's Law for Everything", expressing his belief that AI could generate enough value to fund a UBI of $13,500 per year for every adult in the United States within ten years.

2022: Altman Leaves Reddit Board

In 2022, Sam Altman left the board of Reddit.

March 2023: Altman Provides Capital During Silicon Valley Bank Crisis

In March 2023, during the depositor run on Silicon Valley Bank, Sam Altman provided capital to multiple startups.

May 2023: Altman's World Tour After ChatGPT Success

In May 2023, following the success of ChatGPT, Sam Altman embarked on a world tour, visiting 22 countries and engaging with various global leaders and diplomats.

May 16, 2023: Altman Testifies Before Senate Subcommittee

On May 16, 2023, Sam Altman testified before the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, addressing issues related to AI oversight.

September 2023: Issued Golden Visa by Indonesia

In September 2023, the government of Indonesia granted Sam Altman the country's first "golden visa", which is a 10-year border pass.

November 2023: Toner Explains Rationale for Firing Altman

In May 2024, former board member Helen Toner explained the board's rationale for firing Sam Altman in November 2023. She stated that Altman had withheld information and alleged psychological abuse.

November 2023: Altman Briefly Dismissed and Reinstated as OpenAI CEO

In November 2023, Sam Altman was briefly dismissed as the CEO of OpenAI but was later reinstated. This event occurred amidst his tenure as a leading figure in the AI boom.

November 17, 2023: Altman Removed as OpenAI CEO

On November 17, 2023, OpenAI's board announced the removal of Sam Altman as CEO, citing a lack of consistent candor in his communications. Greg Brockman also resigned as President of OpenAI in response.

2023: Altman Supports Dean Phillips' Presidential Challenge

In 2023, Sam Altman was involved in supporting Representative Dean Phillips as he prepared to challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.

2023: Named one of Time's 100 most influential people and CEO of the Year

In 2023, Sam Altman was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential individuals globally and was also named CEO of the Year. He was also on the Time's list of the 100 most influential people in AI in 2023.

January 2024: Marriage to Oliver Mulherin

In January 2024, Sam Altman married engineer Oliver Mulherin at their estate in Hawaii.

February 2024: Elon Musk sues OpenAI and Altman

In late February 2024, Elon Musk initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, alleging breaches of the company's founding agreement by prioritizing profit over the benefit to humanity. Shortly after, OpenAI executives, including Altman, refuted these claims in a blog post.

March 8, 2024: Altman Rejoins OpenAI Board of Directors

On March 8, 2024, OpenAI announced that Sam Altman would rejoin the board of directors following a review by law firm WilmerHale.

March 2024: Altman Debuts on Bloomberg Billionaires Index

In March 2024, Sam Altman debuted on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with an estimated net worth of $2 billion, primarily from his venture capital funds related to Hydrazine Capital.

May 2024: Allegations Against Altman

In May 2024, Altman was accused of lying about equity cancellation provisions and faced allegations of withholding information and psychological abuse, based on reports from former board member Helen Toner.

May 2024: Oklo Inc. Completes Merger with AltC Acquisition Corp

In May 2024, Oklo Inc. completed a merger with AltC Acquisition Corp. to become a public company, with Altman remaining as chairman of Oklo.

May 2024: Signed the Giving Pledge

In May 2024, Sam Altman and his spouse, Oliver Mulherin, committed to donating the majority of their wealth by signing the Giving Pledge.

June 2024: Altman's Investment Portfolio Valued at $2.8 Billion

As of June 2024, Sam Altman's investment portfolio includes stakes in over 400 companies, valued at around $2.8 billion, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to some investments intersecting with companies doing business with OpenAI.

November 18, 2024: Altman Named to Lurie Transition Team

On November 18, 2024, San Francisco Mayor-Elect Daniel Lurie appointed Sam Altman to his transition team.

December 2024: Altman Reportedly to Donate to Trump's Inaugural Fund

In December 2024, it was reported that Sam Altman would donate $1 million to the Inaugural Fund for President Donald Trump.

2024: Altman Suggests "Universal Basic Compute"

In 2024, Sam Altman suggested a new form of UBI called "universal basic compute" to give everyone a "slice" of ChatGPT's computing power.

2024: Altman Listed as Third-Largest Reddit Shareholder

Prior to Reddit's IPO in 2024, Sam Altman was listed as its third-largest shareholder, owning around nine percent.

January 2025: Ann Altman files lawsuit alleging sexual abuse

In January 2025, Sam Altman's sister, Ann Altman, filed a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by Altman, stating the abuse began when she was three years old and he was 12. Altman and his family denied the allegations.

February 22, 2025: Birth of son announced

On February 22, 2025, Sam Altman announced the birth of his son.

March 20, 2025: Altman Hosts Fundraiser for Senator Mark Warner

On March 20, 2025, Sam Altman hosted a fundraiser in San Francisco for Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat running for re-election in Virginia in 2026.

April 2025: Altman Serves as Chairman of Helion Energy and Oklo

As of April 2025, Sam Altman served as the chairman of clean energy companies Helion Energy and Oklo.

April 2025: Altman Steps Down as Chairman of Oklo

In April 2025, Sam Altman stepped down as chairman of Oklo to "avoid conflict of interest" and "open up opportunities for future deals between OpenAI and Oklo."

July 4, 2025: Altman Shares Political Ideology

On July 4, 2025, Sam Altman shared on X (formerly Twitter) his belief in "techno-capitalism" and expressed feeling "politically homeless", criticizing the Democratic Party for not encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.