Sam Altman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OpenAI, explained why he did not receive equity at the time of the company's founding, noting that he now has some regrets.
According to CNBC on Oct. 10 (local time), Altman attended the DealBook Conference hosted by The New York Times on Dec. 4 and said, 'I did not acquire equity at the time of OpenAI's founding in 2015.' He added, 'I believed that personal interests and professional interests should be separated. That decision was to dedicate myself to artificial intelligence (AI) development.'
Altman currently earns $76,000 (about 100 million won) per year. He emphasized, 'I was focused on securing a leading position in the AI race. The dream I had as a child was to research general artificial intelligence and embark on adventures with the smartest researchers in the world,' stating that it was 'more valuable than additional money.'
However, he expressed regret, saying, 'If I could turn back time, I would have had a little equity so that I wouldn't have to face such questions.'
Altman's lack of equity in OpenAI has raised concerns among investors. Especially as OpenAI prepares to transition from a nonprofit entity to a for-profit entity, attention is focused on the possibility that he might receive equity. Earlier reports suggested that Altman would secure 7% equity in OpenAI, but he denied this, stating, 'There are no plans to receive equity at this time.'
Meanwhile, Altman holds equity in other corporations, including Reddit and the fusion startup Helion, and his assets are reported to be approximately $1.1 billion. This distinguishes him from other big tech CEOs who have accumulated vast wealth through company equity.