OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, despite his lack of an equity stake in the highly valued AI company and his $76,001 salary, isn’t just doing it for the good of humanity—at least according to a new filing related to the ongoing Musk v. Altman case.
According to the court document, Altman holds more than $2 billion worth of investments in companies directly doing business with OpenAI.
Among them: The fusion power company Helion Energy (a $1.7 billion stake), the financial software company Stripe ($633 million), and the “reverse aging” pharma firm Retro Bioscience ($258 million).
Altman also has equity in Cerebras, Lattice, Humane, and Formation Bio, all of which benefit from broad investment in AI.
The revelation is important for two reasons. First: Several state attorneys general—plus foe Elon Musk—have accused Altman of self-dealing ahead of OpenAI’s expected and hotly anticipated IPO. Second: Musk’s lead attorney in the case used the document to help support Musk’s claim that Altman was unjustly enriched when he allegedly steered OpenAI away from its charitable founding mission.
For his part, Altman maintains that he acted appropriately in the dealings between his employer and the companies in which he invests. For example, Altman was “recused” on “both sides” during a 2024 deal between OpenAI and Helion, and stepped down from the latter’s board earlier this year as the companies explored a larger deal.
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