In recent times, OpenAI has been at the center of various controversies, leading to the disclosure of past events involving Sam Altman, the CEO. One revelation is that he was ousted from Y Combinator, a renowned startup incubator, where he once held a prominent position.
Paul Graham, a co-founder of Y Combinator (YC), clarified through X that the information about Altman’s dismissal was untrue. However, at one point, Altman juggled responsibilities at both YC and OpenAI. When OpenAI announced plans to seek profits, the YC founders discussed with Altman the need for him to work full-time at OpenAI, prompting him to step down from YC.
Graham stated that if Altman chose to remain at YC, they would have found someone else to be the CEO of OpenAI. Ultimately, YC did not want him to leave, but he had to make a choice.
Sam Altman joined YC in 2011 as a partner and was appointed as the president in 2014. As for OpenAI, he co-founded it with Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Jessica Livingston (also a YC co-founder) in 2015 as a non-profit organization. In 2019, OpenAI announced its for-profit division, leading Altman to depart from YC.
Source: TechCrunch
TLDR: Sam Altman, previously associated with Y Combinator and OpenAI, faced a decision when OpenAI shifted towards profit-seeking endeavors, ultimately resulting in his departure from YC.
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