The 52-Page Memo That Nearly Destroyed OpenAI: Ilya Sutskever's Deposition

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Ilya Sutskever prepared a 52-page memo for OpenAI's independent board members, alleging Sam Altman had a pattern of lying and undermining executives, and recommended his termination.
The memo was sent via disappearing email to avoid leaks, relied on secondhand information from Mira Murati without verification, and suggested further investigations that were not followed.
Sutskever described the board's decision to remove Altman as rushed, attributing it to the board's inexperience and limited engagement with OpenAI's day-to-day operations.
A secret merger proposal with Anthropic was discussed post-Altman's firing, with board member Helen Toner showing support, but it did not proceed due to practical challenges.
Sutskever had considered Altman's removal for at least a year, waiting for a board majority not friendly with Altman, but misjudged employee reaction, which strongly supported Altman's return.
Despite leaving OpenAI in May 2024, Sutskever retains a financial interest in the company, which has increased, and believes OpenAI is covering his legal fees for the deposition and lawsuit.

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