OpenAI CEO Sam Altman The announcement of joining The Giving Pledge, a commitment to give away more than half of his wealth, comes after a turbulent period for Altman.
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Altman, a venture capitalist who has amassed an estimated $1 billion fortune through investments, according to Forbes, as co-founder of San Francisco-based ChatGPT, was ousted and then reappointed as CEO last November, an internal conflict that rocked the AI industry as it nearly brought down the much-hyped AI company.
As a company that originally founded itself as a nonprofit research lab dedicated to safely building technologies that benefit humanity, Altman said he wants to focus his philanthropic giving on “helping people create abundant technology.” “We would not be making this commitment if it weren’t for the hard work, ingenuity, generosity, and dedication to improving the world of those who built the foundations of society,” he wrote in his May 18 Giving Pledge letter alongside his husband, tech investor Oliver Mulherin. “We can do nothing but feel tremendously grateful and pledge to give back by doing our part to make society’s foundations even stronger.”
In addition to Altman, other wealthy people who have joined the Giving Pledge include Mercuria CEO Marco Dunand and investor Robert D. Goldfarb. Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 to foster philanthropy among the world's wealthiest people and address pressing issues. To date, more than 240 signatories from 30 countries have pledged to donate the majority of their wealth to charity. Although critics have pointed out a lack of oversight to ensure that community members abide by their pledge, the move has brought important support to philanthropy.