Sam Altman — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI since 2019, overseeing the successful launch of ChatGPT in 2022.
Co-founded Loopt, a mobile social networking service, in 2005 at age 19, raising over $30 million in venture capital.
Served as president of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, from 2014 to 2019.
Served as chairman of clean energy companies Helion Energy and Oklo (until April 2025).
Dropped out of Stanford University after two years of studying computer science.

Biography

Sam Altman is an American entrepreneur, investor, and the chief executive officer of OpenAI since 2019. He is considered one of the leading figures of the AI boom, having overseen the successful launch of ChatGPT in 2022. In 2023, he was briefly ousted from his role by the company's board due to a lack of confidence in his leadership, but was reinstated five days later following significant backlash from employees and investors, leading to the formation of a new board.