Sam Altman—Fired by OpenAI board for lack of candor, reinstated 5 days later after employee revolt
On November 17, 2023, OpenAI's board fired Sam Altman, stating he was 'not consistently candid in his communications.' Former board member Helen Toner later revealed specific allegations: Altman didn't inform the board about ChatGPT's launch (they learned from Twitter), concealed his ownership of OpenAI's startup fund, provided inaccurate information about safety processes, and two executives reported 'psychological abuse' with documentation. After 95% of employees threatened to resign, Altman was reinstated on November 22 with a reconstituted board. A later WilmerHale investigation found 'a significant breakdown of trust' but did not publish its full findings.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Governance | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Whistleblower Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.498 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (reactive ×0.75)
Evidence (1 signal)
Fired by OpenAI board for lack of candor, reinstated 5 days later after employee revolt
On November 17, 2023, OpenAI's board fired Sam Altman, stating he was 'not consistently candid in his communications.' Former board member Helen Toner later revealed specific allegations: Altman didn't inform the board about ChatGPT's launch (they learned from Twitter), concealed his ownership of OpenAI's startup fund, provided inaccurate information about safety processes, and two executives reported 'psychological abuse' with documentation. After 95% of employees threatened to resign, Altman was reinstated on November 22 with a reconstituted board. A later WilmerHale investigation found 'a significant breakdown of trust' but did not publish its full findings.