20-11-2023 (SAN FRANCISCO) In a strategic move to navigate the aftermath of the recent corporate upheaval, OpenAI’s board of directors has chosen Emmett Shear, the former CEO of Twitch, to assume the role of interim CEO, as confirmed by three reliable sources disclosed to Forbes.
The announcement follows reports late on Sunday by The Information and a subsequent report by Bloomberg, bringing a definitive conclusion to the weekend-long saga that marked the abrupt removal of former CEO Sam Altman in a corporate coup on Friday.
According to a communication from co-founder Ilya Sutskever to the staff, Altman will not be returning to his leadership position. This decision has been met with finality, marking the conclusion of Altman’s tenure at the company. The swift and unexpected removal of Altman prompted a significant reaction from supporters, particularly led by Microsoft, along with key investors and employees. They advocated for Altman’s reinstatement, threatening the potential departure of OpenAI’s researchers and the withdrawal of Microsoft’s support if their demands were not met.
Sam Altman, along with Greg Brockman, who was also ousted from the board on Friday and subsequently resigned as president, had been contemplating raising capital for a new startup in the event of their non-reinstatement, according to information from two sources disclosed to Forbes.
Saturday witnessed an outpouring of support for Altman on Twitter from several key executives and leaders at OpenAI. Notable figures expressing solidarity included chief operating officer Brad Lightcap and chief technology officer Mira Murati, who had assumed the role of interim CEO on Friday. However, the latest development sees Emmett Shear stepping into this interim leadership position, succeeding Mira Murati.
