OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denies allegations of sexual abuse in lawsuit by sister

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, firmly denies sexual abuse allegations brought against him in a lawsuit filed by his sister

Ann Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing her brother of sexual abuse that she alleges occurred regularly between 1997 and 2006.

The suit, submitted to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, claims the abuse happened at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, starting when Ann, referred to as Annie, was three and Sam was 12. The filing alleges the incidents occurred “several times per week,” beginning with oral sex and escalating to penetration.

According to the lawsuit, the alleged abuse has caused the plaintiff “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression,” which she is expected to continue experiencing in the future.

Annie Altman has previously made similar accusations against her brother publicly on platforms like X but has not pursued legal action until now. She is represented by Ryan Mahoney, an attorney whose Illinois-based firm focuses on cases of sexual assault and harassment.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages exceeding $75,000.

In a joint statement on X with his mother, Connie, and brothers Jack and Max, Sam Altman denied the accusations. 

“Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam,” the statement said. “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.”

The statement further asserts that the claims are “utterly untrue” and describes the situation as “immensely painful” for their family. It adds that Ann Altman faces “mental health challenges” and “refuses conventional treatment,” often directing her frustrations toward family members trying to support her.

Sam Altman has become globally recognized since OpenAI launched its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, in November 2022. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, was recently valued at $157 billion, with additional funding from companies like Nvidia, SoftBank, and Thrive Capital.

Altman briefly lost his position as CEO in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board removed him, but he was reinstated shortly after due to pressure from employees and investors.

This lawsuit is not the only legal challenge Altman faces. In March, Elon Musk sued OpenAI and its co-founders, including Altman and Greg Brockman, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI when it was established as a nonprofit in 2015, left the board in 2018 and has since criticized the company for allegedly straying from its original mission.