Sam Altman
Co-founder and CEO, OpenAI
Sam Altman is co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. He co-founded the location app Loopt in 2005, sold it to Green Dot in 2012, and was president of Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019. OpenAI's board removed him as CEO in November 2023; he was reinstated days later.
InvestorExecutiveFounderSan Francisco, United States
- Investments
- 9
- First deal on record
- 2014
- Current roles
- 5
Experience
- Jan 2026 — nowCo-founder · Merge Labs9 mos
- Jan 2019 — nowCo-founder · Tools for Humanity7 yrs 9 mos
- Dec 2015 — nowCo-founder, CEO · OpenAI10 yrs 10 mos
- Jan 2015 — nowChairman · Helion Energy11 yrs 9 mos
- NowChairman · Journey Colab
- Mar 2021 — May 2024Co-founder, CEO · AltC Acquisition Corp3 yrs 2 mos
- Feb 2014 — Mar 2019President · Y Combinator5 yrs 1 mo
- Jan 2014 — Jan 2022Board member · Reddit8 yrs
- From Apr 2012Co-founder · Hydrazine Capital
- Jan 2011 — Feb 2014Part-time Partner · Y Combinator3 yrs 1 mo
- Jan 2005 — Mar 2012Co-founder, CEO · Loopt7 yrs 2 mos
- Apr 2025Chairman · Oklo
Investments
20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024Exowatt · Apr 2024Humane · Mar 2023Retro Biosciences · 2022Helion Energy · Nov 2021Reddit · Sep 2014
- ExowattApr 2024Seed
- HumaneMar 2023Series C
- Retro Biosciences2022
- Helion EnergyNov 2021Fusion power generators built to produce electricity. Microsoft has signed a power purchase agreement for its first commercial plant, where site construction has begun in Malaga, Washington, and a 500 MW plant is being developed with steelmaker Nucor.
- RedditSep 2014An online platform of user-created communities, called subreddits, where people post, discuss and vote on content. Most of its revenue comes from advertising.
- StripePayment software and APIs that let online businesses accept and process payments, plus tools to manage billing and revenue. Millions of businesses use it, from new startups to public companies.
- Oklo
- Boom Supersonic
- AirbnbAn online marketplace for short-term rentals, where hosts list places to stay, experiences and services that guests can search for and book.Consumer & mediaCEO of Airbnb: Brian Chesky
