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

In the wake of his sudden departure from OpenAI, former CEO Sam Altman took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his feelings about the experience. In a tweet, Altman described the day as a 'weird experience' and likened it to 'reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive.' This tweet marks one of Altman's first public comments since the announcement of his departure from OpenAI.

Altman's tweet read: "I love you all. Today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. The outpouring of love is awesome. One takeaway: go tell your friends how great you think they are."

The tweet suggests that Altman was taken by surprise by the public reaction to his departure. The "outpouring of love" he refers to likely includes messages of support and appreciation from colleagues, friends, and followers in the tech community.

i love you all.

today was a weird experience in many ways. but one unexpected one is that it has been sorta like reading your own eulogy while you’re still alive. the outpouring of love is awesome.

one takeaway: go tell your friends how great you think they are.

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 18, 2023

Sam Altman also posted an cryptic tweet about his shares in the company. In his latest tweet he said, "If I start going off, the OpenAI board should go after me for the full value of my shares." The reasons behind the sudden departure of Sam Altman from OpenAI are only getting murkier after his tweet suggesting hostile reactions from the company. 

if i start going off, the openai board should go after me for the full value of my shares

— Sam Altman (@sama) November 18, 2023

OpenAI's Reasoning Behind Altman's Departure

OpenAI released an official statment highlighting the transition OpenAI's leadership to Mira Murati. In the official blog the board of directors said "he [Sam Altman] was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities. The board no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI."

The statement further added, "OpenAI was deliberately structured to advance our mission: to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all humanity. The board remains fully committed to serving this mission. We are grateful for Sam’s many contributions to the founding and growth of OpenAI. At the same time, we believe new leadership is necessary as we move forward."

Also read: Who is Mira Murati, the new interim CEO of OpenAI after Sam Altman's exit?

Also read: 'Lost confidence in his ability': ChatGPT-maker OpenAI fires CEO Sam Altman