OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denied allegations made by his sister that he sexually assaulted her as a child, saying the claims were “deeply hurtful and untrue” in a joint statement with his mother and two brothers posted on X.
His sister, Ann “Annie” Altman, filed a federal lawsuit Monday, claiming the OpenAI boss abused her at a family home in Clayton, Missouri. Annie Altman said the abuse started when she was three and her brother was 12. The abuse, which started with oral sex and later moved to penetration, happened “several times per week,” according to the filing.
The experience caused “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression, which is expected to continue into the future.” She is seeking at least $75,000 in damages and a jury trial.
Sam Altman, in his joint statement Tuesday night, said his sister “faces mental health challenges” that the family has tried to help her with over the years.
“To give a sense of our efforts, we have given her monthly financial support, directly paid her bills, covered her rent, helped her find employment opportunities, attempted to get her medical help, and have offered to buy her a house through a trust,” the statement said.
“Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us. In this vein, Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, especially Sam,” the statement continued. “We’ve chosen not to respond publicly, out of respect for her privacy and our own. However, she has now taken legal action against Sam, and we feel we have no choice but to address this.”
In September, OpenAI — the company behind ChatGPT — said it would be restructuring from a non-profit to a for-profit benefit corporation. Sam Altman, as part of the shift, was set to receive up to $10.5 billion in equity.
