While it’s still unclear what exactly went down before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was abruptly ousted from the company in November — only to return in less than a week — more details were revealed in a new report.
When his exit was announced, the OpenAI board said it “no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI” and that he was “not consistently candid in his communications.” Still, the vague explanation only sparked more questions, which continued to linger even after his return.
The New York Times, on Thursday, citing unnamed sources, reported that CTO Mira Murati had raised concerns about Altman’s leadership style to the board in October — and to Altman himself in the form of a memo.
The sources told the Times her actions contributed to the board pushing Altman out.
Murati took over for a short-lived stint as interim CEO after Altman’s departure.
The Times reported she wasn’t the only executive unhappy with Altman. Cofounder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever also raised issues with some members of the board in October.
Some board members were worried that if they did not do something about Altman, Sutskever and Murati might leave OpenAI, the Times reported.
The law firm WilmerHale is expected to release a report soon based on its investigation into what happened amid Altman’s exit and return.
OpenAI, Murati, and Sutskever did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider.
In a statement to the Times, an OpenAI spokesperson said Murati, as well as the rest of the leadership team, requested Altman return as CEO right after his departure.
“The strong support from his team underscores that he is an effective CEO who is open to different points of view, willing to solve complex challenges, and who demonstrates care for his team,” spokesperson Hannah Wong told the outlet.
Murati did not respond to the Times, while Sutskever’s attorney said it was “categorically false” that he raised concerns to the board.
