Microsoft offers jobs and promises to match salaries of employees planning to leave OpenAI after Sam Altman’s departure

After OpenAI suddenly ousted CEO Sam Altman, over 500 employees have threatened to quit the company and join Microsoft instead, just like Altman. To this, Microsoft CTA Kevin Scott has assured that they are welcome to join Microsoft. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Scott revealed that the company is even willing to match the compensation that they are receiving at OpenAI.

In the post, Scott wrote, “To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft’s new AI Research Lab. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.”

To my partners at OpenAI: We have seen your petition and appreciate your desire potentially to join Sam Altman at Microsoft’s new AI Research Lab. Know that if needed, you have a role at Microsoft that matches your compensation and advances our collective mission.

— Kevin Scott (@kevin_scott) November 21, 2023

It is unclear that if the hiring of these employees is dependent on whether Altman is accepting Microsoft’s offer of leading an AI research lab or not. With the recent open letter from employees demanding the OpenAI board to resign, the future of the company hangs in the balance.

In another CNBC report, it was revealed that Microsoft already has human resources and legal staff on standby to handle hiring and onboarding. It added that the company has begun preparing its LinkedIn offices in downtown San Francisco for hundreds of OpenAI employees. These offices are about two miles from OpenAI’s headquarters.

After announcing that Altman will work with Microsoft, company CEO Satya Nadella spoke to CNBC expressing his concerns regarding the OpenAI’s board of directors. He stated, “At this point, I think it’s very clear that something has to change around the governance at OpenAI.

As per a report by Bloomberg, the OpenAI’s board of director is again mulling over the return of Altman. The board members are facing pressure from employees and investors to bring Altman back to the company.  

As per the report, the board members and Altman have discussed possible ways this whole scenario could play out. It is in talks weather Altman should come back to his old position or as the board director.

The OpenAI drama increased tenfold after Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and chief scientist, who seems to have orchestrated the ouster of Altman, apologised for his role in the matter. He stated that he “deeply regrets his participation in the board’s actions.” He further added, “I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we have built together, and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.”

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