Billionaire Altman Makes Philanthropy Pledge

OpenAI CEO adds his name to the Giving Pledge
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 28, 2024 2:47 PM CDT
OpenAI's Altman Makes Philanthropy Pledge
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

The Giving Pledge announced Tuesday that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has joined its list of wealthy philanthropists committed to donating over half their fortunes, per the AP. The move comes after a tumultuous six months for Altman, the co-founder of the San Francisco-based company behind ChatGPT and a venture capitalist who Forbes says amassed much of his $1 billion through investments. His removal and subsequent reinstatement as CEO last November stunned the rapidly commercializing industry as internal conflicts threatened to sink one of the most sought-after voices on artificial intelligence .

Now Altman, who initially founded his company as a nonprofit research lab dedicated to safely building AI for humanity's benefit, will focus his philanthropic giving on "technology that helps create abundance for people," he says. "We would not be making this pledge if it weren't for the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here," Altman wrote alongside husband and technology investor Oliver Mulherin in a May 18 Giving Pledge letter.

Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 to foster a culture of philanthropy among the world's wealthiest people to tackle urgent problems. More than 240 signatories from 30 countries have committed to giving the majority of their wealth to charity, though critics argue there is little oversight to ensure that community members follow through on their vows.

(More Sam Altman stories.)

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