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Sam Altman is co-founder and CEO of OpenAI and a startup investor who has backed Helion's fusion-energy work, including its 2025 financing. Before OpenAI, he led Y Combinator and co-founded Loopt. He writes about technological progress, intelligence, energy, startups and decisions that shape the future. He also co-founded Worldcoin.
Sam Altman is co-founder and CEO of OpenAI and a startup investor who has backed Helion's fusion-energy work, including its 2025 financing. Before OpenAI, he led Y Combinator and co-founded Loopt. He writes about technological progress, intelligence, energy, startups and decisions that shape the future. He also co-founded Worldcoin.
Career
Sam Altman is from San Francisco and attended Stanford University.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at OpenAI from 2023-11 to Present.Co-founded OpenAI in 2015; first became CEO in March 2019 and returned in November 2023.TFCo-founder and Chairman at Tools for Humanity until Present.Co-founded Tools for Humanity in 2019 and currently serves as chairman.
MLCo-founder at Merge Labs until Present.Co-founded the brain-computer-interface research lab in a personal capacity.
OBoard Member at OpenResearch until Present.Serves on the board of the independent public-interest research organization formerly called YC Research.
Executive Chairman at Helion until 2026-03.Served as executive chairman following earlier board service beginning in 2015.
Chairman of the Board at Oklo from 2024-05 to 2025-04.Chaired public Oklo after the business combination. Previously served as CEO and director of the same public entity under its AltC name from July 2021 to May 2024, and chaired Legacy Oklo from October 2015 to May 2024.EGBoard Member at Expedia Group from 2019-09 to 2023-06.Served on Expedia Group’s board of directors.
B2Board Member at Bridgetown 2 Holdings Limited from 2021-01 to 2022-03.Served on the special-purpose acquisition company’s board.
President at Y Combinator from 2014 to 2019.Led Y Combinator through a major expansion of its founder community and early-stage startup program.GDBoard Member at Green Dot Corporation from 2013-03 to 2016-04.Served on the board after senior roles following Green Dot’s acquisition of Loopt.
LCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Loopt from 2005 to 2012-03.Co-founded and led the mobile location-services company until its acquisition by Green Dot.