Bloomberg News reports that Sam Altman will rejoin OpenAI as the chief executive officer. He had just overcome an attempt of a boardroom coup, which caused the company a lot of chaos. The incident occurred over the past few days. As a sign of protest, Greg Brockman, the former president, quit following Sam Altman’s firing.
Company’s Statement
Late Tuesday, the company released a statement that it has “agreement in principle” for the return of Altman along with a new board. The new board comprises Bret Taylor, Adam D’Angelo, and Larry Summers. D’Angelo belongs to the earlier board, which had fired Altman Friday. However, he will also be on the new board, so that he can give some representation to the previous board.
Purpose of the New Board
Individuals who are familiar with the incident have said that the purpose of the initial and small board is to appoint and vet yet another board that will be expanded and comprise up to 9 people. This team will reset the OpenAI governance.
Microsoft, which has promised to invest billions into OpenAI, seeks a place in the expanded board. The same applies to Sam Altman as well. At a press conference tour of the week, the chief executive officer of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, said he is not looking for further surprises. Both sides have decided upon an investigation. An independent law firm is being declared to carry out the investigation.
Thrive Capital Move
Another important investor in OpenAI, Thrive Capital, also demanded the return of Sam Altman. The investor said that the return of Altman would be the best for the company, the workforce, and all individuals who intend to work on their technological skills at large.
Altman’s Return Is a Surprise
Bloomberg News reports that Altman’s return is more shocking than his exit on Friday. The nonprofit board of OpenAI was resolute in the initial decision to remove Altman. It also shuffled two chief executive officers in 3 days to avoid reinstating Altman. In the meantime, the OpenAI employees protested and threatened that it would defect to Microsoft along with co-founder Greg Brockman and Altman if the board failed to resign.
