According to a former board member, Sam Altman was reportedly fired from OpenAI for supposedly withholding information from the board. Helen Toner, who used to be on the board at OpenAI, claimed that the CEO had deceived board members before his termination. Toner made these allegations during a recent episode of the Ted AI podcast on May 28th. As an example of Altman withholding information, Toner stated that he had not informed the board about the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Cointelegraph has reached out to OpenAI for comment on this matter.
Back in November 2023, Altman was removed from the board and temporarily relieved of his duties as CEO due to allegations that he was not consistently honest in his communications with the board. However, this decision was met with dissatisfaction from the company’s employees. Out of the 700 staff members, 505 signed a letter demanding the resignation of the board. Consequently, Altman was reinstated within a few days.
The board of OpenAI is responsible for providing critical safety and security recommendations for the company’s projects. However, this responsibility was allegedly impeded by the CEO’s lack of transparent communication. Toner claims that Altman concealed his ownership of OpenAI’s startup fund from the board. The OpenAI Startup Fund, established in 2021, is a $175 million venture capital fund that invests in AI, technology, healthcare, and education companies to make a positive global impact. Toner asserts that Altman kept his ownership of the fund hidden from the board members. However, according to a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on March 29th, OpenAI has altered the fund’s governance structure to remove Altman’s ownership and control. The fund is now managed by Ian Hathaway, a partner at the fund since 2021.
In other news, Asia Express has reported that a Hong Kong streaming company plans to purchase $100 million worth of cryptocurrency. Additionally, Worldcoin has faced sanctions.