Fired and then rehired: The many twists and turns in Sam Altman-OpenAI saga

If there’s a lesson to learn from Sam Altman, it could be the one on how to lose and gain a job within six days. On 22 November, OpenAI in a statement said that it has an “agreement in principle” for Altman to return alongside a new board composed of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. 17 November – Altman’s Fired Drama began to unfold at the San Francisco-centred firm when OpenAI’s board of directors put out a statement that Sam Altman would step down as CEO and leave the board of directors.” The board had then said that it no longer had “confidence in his ability to continue leading.” In the same announcement, it was also said OpenAI’s CTO Mira Murati would also serve as the CEO of the company. However, by Sunday night, it appeared that no breakthrough could be achieved with OpenAI board members Sutskever, Adam D’Angelo, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley reaffirming their decision to fire Altman, saying it was “the only path to advance and defend the mission of OpenAI.” They continued: “Put simply, Sam’s behaviour and lack of transparency in his interactions with the board undermined the board’s ability to effectively supervise the company in the manner it was mandated to do.” 20 November – A new beginning Early in the day, Altman posted an image of him, indicating that his return to OpenAI seemed unlikely.