Altman Makes a Comeback: Unraveling the Drama of OpenAI's Boardroom Shuffle

After a wild five-day rollercoaster of a boardroom drama, Sam Altman is making a triumphant return to the helm of OpenAI. Co-founder Greg Brockman, who dramatically quit in protest when Altman got the boot, is also coming back to the party.

In a late Tuesday statement, OpenAI spilled the beans, sharing the good news that Altman’s comeback is in the works. The company has the lowdown on a “deal in principle” that will see Altman back in action, flanked by a fresh board lineup featuring Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. D’Angelo, a holdover from the board that initially gave Altman the boot, is sticking around to keep things balanced, we’re told.

Insiders in the know spilled the beans that this snazzy new board’s primary mission is to vet and appoint a bigger board, potentially up to nine people, to shake up OpenAI’s governance. Microsoft, the big spender throwing billions at OpenAI, is angling for a spot on that expanded board, and Altman wants in on the action too. During a press tour, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made it clear they weren’t keen on any more “surprises.”

Both sides are apparently on board with an investigation into the whole saga, likely to be carried out by an outside law firm. From what we gather, the human power struggle at the heart of this is far from over.

The deal for Altman’s return has been Instagrammed by all key players, and according to the grapevine, it’s a done deal pending a bit of last-minute paperwork. Altman himself, speaking on X, mentioned that everything he’s been up to lately has been about keeping the OpenAI team and its mission intact.

Thrilled about the turnaround, one of OpenAI’s big investors, Thrive Capital, called Altman’s return “the best outcome for the company, its employees, those who build on their technologies, and the world at large.” Thrive partner Kelly Sims gushed about OpenAI’s potential and Altman and Brockman’s commitment and leadership.

Helen Toner, a key player in the initial move to show Altman the door, summed it up with a simple, “And now, we all get some sleep.”

Altman’s return is more surprising than his abrupt exit on Friday. The non-profit board seemed dead set on kicking him to the curb, even shuffling through two CEOs in three days to avoid bringing him back. OpenAI employees rebelled, threatening to jump ship to Microsoft with Altman and Brockman if the board didn’t step down.

Since Altman’s firing, the board members who gave him the boot have kept mum on the details behind their decision, even in the face of potential lawsuits and employee walkouts. Ilya Sutskever, a key board member, flipped back to Altman’s side on Sunday after some heartfelt persuasion from Brockman’s wife. Sutskever’s change of heart left the remaining three board members in a vulnerable position.

Emmett Shear, the interim CEO appointed on Sunday, once threatened to resign unless the board dished out some documentation or evidence to justify Altman’s firing. Now that Altman’s return is official, Shear sees it as “the pathway that maximised safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved.” He’s just happy to have been part of the solution.