Sam Altman stated that his phone became inoperable due to the overwhelming influx of messages he received following his controversial departure from OpenAI.
In a radio interview with Trevor Noah that aired on Thursday, the CEO delved into the details of his abrupt exit from OpenAI.
“I couldn’t use my phone because it was constantly buzzing with notifications,” he shared with Noah. As his iPhone temporarily malfunctioned, a barrage of messages flooded in, eventually all being marked as read.
Altman revealed that he started receiving job inquiries shortly after the departure of Greg Brockman, the company’s chairman, and several other prominent employees in the aftermath of his dismissal.
The news of his termination by OpenAI’s board initially caught Altman off guard.
“I was taken aback. It didn’t sink in right away,” he recounted, describing the situation as chaotic. He admitted that uncertainty became his predominant feeling post-firing, despite his evident dissatisfaction with the board’s choice.
The rationale behind the dismissal of Altman, a well-regarded figure within the organization, remains murky to the public. Apart from mentioning Altman’s lack of transparency in his communications, the board failed to provide a clear justification at that time.
The decision triggered a chain of turbulent events, prompting a mass exodus of employees threatening to resign. Subsequently, a significant restructuring of the board ensued following Altman’s gradual reinstatement as the CEO.
