Let Us Learn to Show Friendship for a Man When He Is Alive, Not After He Is Dead

6 hours ago

Sam Altman is the subject of a lengthy New Yorker profile questioning his trustworthiness, particularly regarding his 2023 ouster and return to OpenAI's board.
The article reports that close colleagues, including Y Combinator partners and Microsoft executives, express deep mistrust, with some describing Altman as 'sociopathic' and comparing him to Bernie Madoff or Sam Bankman-Fried.
Aaron Swartz, a former Y Combinator cohort member, reportedly warned friends that Altman is a 'sociopath' who 'can never be trusted,' adding significant weight to concerns about his integrity.
OpenAI's leadership structure is scrutinized, with Fidji Simo's role as 'CEO of AGI Deployment' seen as potentially meaningless, and her recent medical leave sparking theories of internal power struggles.
Paul Graham publicly denies firing Altman from Y Combinator, emphasizing a choice between roles, but avoids directly affirming Altman's honesty or integrity, leaving trust questions unanswered.
The piece suggests Altman's financial structuring at OpenAI may be alarmingly circular, drawing parallels to Enron, despite the real technological advancements like ChatGPT and Codex.

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