OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is facing serious allegations from his sister, Ann Altman, who filed a lawsuit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. The lawsuit accuses Altman of sexually abusing her on a regular basis between 1997 and 2006, starting when Ann was three years old and Sam was 12.
The allegations claim that the abuse occurred at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, and involved acts of oral sex and penetration, allegedly happening “several times per week.”
The legal filing alleges that the abuse caused Ann Altman “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression” that she continues to endure. Although Ann, who goes by Annie, has previously made similar allegations against her brother on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), this marks the first time she has pursued legal action.
Represented by attorney Ryan Mahoney, known for handling cases of sexual assault and harassment, the lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $75,000 and requests a jury trial.
Family Responds To The Allegations
Sam Altman, along with his mother Connie and brothers Jack and Max, issued a joint statement denying the allegations. They stated, “Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam. While we’ve avoided responding publicly out of respect for her privacy, her legal action compels us to address these false claims.”
The family’s statement described Ann as struggling with “mental health challenges” and claimed she has rejected conventional treatment while lashing out at family members who have attempted to help her. They reaffirmed that “all of these claims are utterly untrue” and expressed the immense emotional toll the situation has taken on their family.
Sam Altman has become a significant figure in the tech industry, particularly following OpenAI’s launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. The AI chatbot gained global recognition, and OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, recently reached a valuation of $157 billion. Despite a brief ousting from the CEO position in November 2023 due to board disputes, Altman was reinstated after strong backing from investors and employees.
Legal Challenges Faced By Altman
The lawsuit from his sister isn’t the only legal issue Sam Altman is facing. Earlier this year, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Altman, OpenAI, and co-founder Greg Brockman, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left the board in 2018 and has since criticized the organization for deviating from its original nonprofit mission.
Musk is seeking to prevent OpenAI from transitioning into a for-profit entity. The case, initially filed in a San Francisco state court, was withdrawn in June and refiled in federal court. In response, OpenAI published a blog post alleging that Musk himself had proposed a for-profit model for the organization in 2017.
