OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, finds himself at the center of a serious legal complaint filed by his sister, Ann Altman. On Monday, she brought a lawsuit against him, accusing him of ongoing sexual abuse in their youth, spanning from 1997 to 2006. These deeply troubling claims were submitted to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri. The alleged incidents reportedly began when Ann was just three years old and Sam was 12, occurring frequently at their family home in Clayton, Missouri.
The lawsuit details a harrowing account of abuse, initially described as oral sex which eventually led to acts of penetration. Ann Altman, who often goes by Annie, states that the emotional and psychological fallout from these experiences has led to lasting distress, including severe anxiety and depression, effects she fears will persist.
This isn’t the first time Ann has spoken out about these allegations; previously, she shared similar accounts on social media platforms like X. However, this lawsuit marks her first legal pursuit against her brother. Represented by Ryan Mahoney, a lawyer from Illinois whose firm specializes in cases of sexual misconduct, Ann is seeking a jury trial and damages exceeding $75,000.
In response, Sam Altman, along with his mother Connie and brothers Jack and Max, issued a denial on X, refuting the accusations as false and harmful. They expressed their reluctance to engage publicly due to personal and familial privacy but felt compelled to speak out following the lawsuit. They claim that Ann’s allegations are entirely baseless and highlight her ongoing mental health struggles as influencing her actions, adding that she has resisted conventional treatments.
Sam Altman has been in the public spotlight, particularly since OpenAI’s release of the artificial intelligence tool, ChatGPT, in November 2022. Backed by major entities like Microsoft, the company recently received a valuation of a staggering $157 billion, attracting investment from the likes of Thrive Capital, Nvidia, and SoftBank.
Interestingly, Altman faced another challenge in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board briefly removed him as CEO. However, he swiftly returned to his post after receiving backing from investors and employees who voiced their support.
Yet, the legal troubles don’t end here. Altman, alongside OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, finds himself in the midst of another lawsuit filed by Elon Musk in March. Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, formerly co-founded OpenAI in its non-profit days but left the organization in 2018. His lawsuit alleges breaches of contract and fiduciary obligations, as he criticizes the company’s shift towards a for-profit model. This legal battle took a turn in June when Musk withdrew an earlier complaint only to refile it in federal court.
Furthermore, OpenAI pushed back against Musk’s assertions, pointing out in a blog post that it was Musk himself who, back in 2017, initiated the concept of transitioning the organization to a for-profit structure.
As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how these accusations and counter-arguments will impact the individuals involved and the tech landscape, which is already buzzing with discussions and speculation.
