'Sam and I are shocked by what board did': OpenAI’s Greg Brockman reveals how Sam Altman was fired

Greg Brockman, one of the founders of OpenAI, expressed shock and sadness in a recent tweet over the board’s decision to dismiss CEO Sam Altman. In his tweet, Brockman revealed how the board of directors executed the firing of Altman. Brockman also highlighted that the decision was sudden and it was made public shortly after the duo were informed. 

Brockman shared a timeline of the events leading up to the announcement. He revealed that Altman received a text from Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s chief scientist, asking for a meeting. During the meeting, which was attended by the entire board except for Brockman, Altman was informed of his dismissal.

Shortly after, Brockman himself received a text from Sutskever asking for a quick call. During the call, Brockman was informed that he was being removed from the board but would retain his role at the company. Around the same time, OpenAI published a blog post announcing the changes.

Brockman also mentioned that the management team was made aware of these changes shortly after, except for Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer, who was informed the night before.

Despite the sudden changes, Brockman ended his tweet on a positive note, expressing gratitude for the support they’ve received and assuring everyone that they will be fine and that greater things are coming soon. This tweet provides a personal perspective on the recent leadership changes at OpenAI and hints at future plans for the ousted leaders.

Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today.

Let us first say thank you to all the incredible people who we have worked with at OpenAI, our customers, our investors, and all of those who have been reaching out.

We too are still trying to figure out exactly…

— Greg Brockman (@gdb) November 18, 2023

OpenAI’s explanation for Altman’s exit

OpenAI's official statement emphasises the transition of OpenAI’s leadership to Mira Murati, the company’s chief technology officer. The board of directors pointed out that Altman’s lack of consistent openness in his communications with the board hindered its ability to fulfill its responsibilities. As a result, the board lost confidence in Altman’s ability to continue leading OpenAI.

The company expressed gratitude for Altman’s significant contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI, the board also stated its belief in the necessity of new leadership as the company moves forward.

Also read: 'Today was a weird experience': Sam Altman opens up after getting fired from OpenAI

Also read: OpenAI fires CEO Sam Altman: Uncanny similarities between his removal and Steve Jobs’ ouster from Apple in 1985