Sam Altman now has his old job back. Here is the timeline of events from Altman’s abrupt dismissal to the moments that led up to his reinstatement as CEO of OpenAI.
Friday, Nov. 17, Altman was ousted from OpenAI. Co-founder and President Greg Brockman was removed from the board, then he quit. Mira Murati was appointed as interim CEO.
Saturday, Nov. 18, Axios reported on an internal memo written by Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap.
“We can say definitively that the board’s decision was not made in response to malfeasance or anything related to our financial, business, safety, or security/privacy practices,” Lightcap wrote. “This was a breakdown in communication between Sam and the board.”
Sunday, Nov. 19, Altman was reportedly in talks about returning to OpenAI while also contemplating the possibility of starting a new company.
Monday, Nov. 20, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Altman, Brockman, and some colleagues would join a “new advanced AI research team” under Microsoft.
That same day, Emmett Shear, former CEO of Twitch, was named interim CEO at OpenAI, pledging to initiate an investigation into Altman’s firing.
In a letter, employees called for Altman and Brockman to be reinstated and for the board to step down. More than 700 people signed the letter.
The resolution came in the early hours of Wednesday, Nov. 22, as OpenAI announced an agreement for Altman to return as CEO with a new initial board.
Quora co-founder Adam D’Angelo retained his position on the board, while former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor were added. The new board is tasked with constructing a larger one, potentially comprising up to nine members, according to reports from The Verge.
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