Sam Altman
Co-founder & CEO, OpenAI
Sam Altman is an entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Loopt and led Y Combinator before becoming OpenAI’s CEO.
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At a glance
Sam Altman is an entrepreneur and investor who co-founded Loopt and led Y Combinator before becoming OpenAI’s CEO. His career connects startup building and venture investment with the development and deployment of AI systems, including ChatGPT.
- Current role
- Co-founder & CEO, OpenAI
- Born
- 22 April 1985
- Known for
- OpenAI; Y Combinator; Loopt
- Previously
- Y Combinator president, 2014–2019
- Coverage
- AI research; products; startup investment
Sources checked . Selected career milestones and biographical references.
Career, in context.
Selected milestones, newest first. Explore earlier career below.
OpenAI updates its structure
OpenAI announces the Foundation and Group PBC structure; its governance overview lists Altman as CEO.
Source: OpenAIReturns as OpenAI CEO
After the November leadership crisis, OpenAI announces his return alongside a new initial board.
Source: OpenAIOpenAI introduces ChatGPT
The company releases ChatGPT as a free research preview. This is a company milestone during his leadership.
Source: OpenAILeads OpenAI as CEO
The OpenAI LP announcement identifies Altman as CEO as the organisation introduces its capped-profit structure.
Source: OpenAI
Show earlier careerHide earlier career · 4 milestones
More than 10 years ago.
Helps launch OpenAI
OpenAI is publicly introduced as a nonprofit AI research company, with Altman as a co-chair.
Source: OpenAIBecomes president of Y Combinator
Paul Graham announces Altman as his successor to lead the accelerator.
Source: Y CombinatorLoopt is acquired
Green Dot acquires Loopt, closing the first chapter of Altman’s startup career.
Source: Y CombinatorCo-founds Loopt
The location-based mobile startup joins Y Combinator’s first summer batch.
Source: Y Combinator
The latest on Sam Altman
Newest firstRelated reporting
Briefs, articles and relevant sections, newest first. Explore older coverage below.
More coverage
Security Review Goes AI-Native
Plus: Altman Energy Analogy, Kiro’s Coding Failure
OpenClaw Is Deleting Human
Plus: AI Crosses a Real Line, Brutal Speed Game
Rent A Human
Plus: Mars AI Missions, OpenClaw Burns Money Fast
Weather Becomes Software
Plus: Microsoft Launches Maia 200, Next AI Crown
The Agent Layer Collapses
Plus: Codex Without Reset, Nothing New Here
Consumer AI 2025
Plus: OpenAI Maps Enterprise AI, AI Cloud Outpaces Security
OpenAI Rushes GPT-5.2
Plus: Glasses That Remember, Perplexity’s Global Backlash
The BlueGPT
Plus: Anthropic Starts IPO, OpenAI Goes Space
Mistral Lands HSBC
Plus: Altman Slams the Brakes, Claude for Nonprofits
