OpenAI’s CTO Mira Murati played a key role in the company’s decision to oust CEO Sam Altman in December, according to a New York Times report. Citing unnamed sources, the report revealed that Murati had raised concerns about Altman’s leadership style to the board, and to Altman himself, in a memo.
Murati was appointed interim CEO for a short while before Altman was reinstated as the company’s CEO five days later after the fracas.
The memo reportedly helped the board’s decision to force Altman out. Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and chief scientist at OpenAI, also shared similar concerns, per the report, and considered Altman to have a history of manipulative behaviour. Both Murati and Sutskever categorised a polarising relationship with Altman, saying he could create a toxic work environment by freezing out executives who did not support his decisions. It is still not clear whether they highlighted specific instances of such behaviour.
A prominent law firm, WilmerHale, is conducting a detailed review of Altman’s firing. It is widely expected to release a comprehensive report on its inquiry soon, the report noted.
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While Altman has declined to comment, a spokesperson for the company said that Murati was part of the senior leadership team that has asked for Altman to be reinstated. “The strong support from his team underscores that he is an effective CEO who is open to different points of view, willing to solve complex challenges, and who demonstrates care for his team. We look forward to findings from the independent review versus unsubstantiated claims,” the statement said.
Murati too declined to comment, but conveyed a message to OpenAI employees after the article was published, saying she had a “strong and productive partnership” with Altman, and was not “shy about sharing feedback with him directly.”
