Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, to whom we owe ChatGPT, is accused by his sister of sexual abuse. Acts allegedly committed between 1997 and 2006, when she was 3 and he was 12.
Explosive accusations to which he responded with a long press release. Sam Altman, general director of OpenAI and creator of ChatGPT, is being sued by his sister Ann for sexual assault. The latter claims to have been abused between 1997 and 2006, when she was 3 years old and he was 12. In her complaint, which the BBC was able to verify, Ann Altman details the attacks she allegedly suffered, including rape. The latest abuse allegedly continued when Sam Altman was an adult but his sister was still a minor. The document expresses the desire to see a trial held in the presence of a jury and seeks damages of more than $75,000. An anecdotal amount when we know that the fortune of the American businessman is estimated at $1 billion. This legal minimum sum does not, however, mean that his lawyers will not demand more from Sam Altman during the trial, if it takes place.
This is not the first time that Ann Altman has accused her brother. She had in fact already made similar allegations on social networks. CNBC, which cites the complaint, indicates that the young woman would still suffer “direct and immediate consequences following the aforementioned acts of sexual assault”, and would be the victim of “serious emotional distress, mental anguish and depression, which should continue into the future.
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The complaint, filed in the Eastern District Court of Missouri, alleges that the abuse took place at the family's home in Clayton, Missouri and occurred “several times a week,” beginning with oral sex and later by penetration.
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The long defense of Sam Altman
Sam Altman's response was immediate. In a long press release published on X (formerly Twitter), the man who was once close to Elon Musk before becoming one of his enemies, strongly denied the accusations. The text, signed by his mother, his brothers and him, begins by affirming that they “love Annie deeply and are very concerned for her well-being”.
“Over the years, we have tried many ways to support Annie and help her find stability, following professional advice on how to support her without enabling harmful behavior. To give an idea of our efforts, we provided her with monthly financial support, paid her bills directly, covered her rent, helped her find job opportunities, attempted to get her medical help, and offered her buy her a house through a trust (so she has secure housing, but can't sell it immediately). Thanks to our late father's estate, Annie receives monthly financial support, which we hope to continue for the rest of her life,” we read.
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According to the family, Ann Altman would still continue to “ask for more money”, a reference to the $75,000 she would like to obtain by making « deeply hurtful and completely false statements about our family, and especially Sam.”
According to the four signatories of the letter, Ann Altman had already made numerous accusations against them. “The worst allegation she has made is that she was sexually abused by Sam when she was a child (she has also claimed instances of sexual abuse by other people). Its demands have evolved considerably over time. New to this trial, they now include allegations of incidents in which Sam was over 18 years old. All of these claims are completely false. This situation is causing immense pain to our entire family.” “It is particularly heartbreaking when she refuses conventional treatment and attacks members of her family who sincerely try to help her,” concludes the family, who asks everyone to show compassion, hoping to help her to find stability and “the peace she seeks”.
