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Sam Altman – the public face of ChatGPT maker OpenAI – has returned to the company just days after his shock ousting.

Not being “consistently candid in his communications” was the charge laid at his feet by the board when the stunning decision to remove him was announced on Friday.

But within days, the 38-year-old was tipped for a return, those who toppled him seemingly harbouring second thoughts after the company president walked out and staff threatened to follow.

And now, less than a week later, he is indeed back.

Given Mr Altman and OpenAI are at the forefront of the AI revolution, the sense of Succession-style chaos should concern us all.

Here’s everything we know – and why it matters.

Shock departure

Mr Altman’s sacking was announced in an unassuming OpenAI press release.

Coming just weeks after he’d represented the firm at the UK’s AI Safety Summit, and days after appearing at the company’s first conference for third-party developers, the timing was a shock.

The board was said to have “lost confidence” in him due to unspecified communications issues.

In this case, the board had meant just four people – including OpenAI’s chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who had reportedly become concerned that Altman was prioritising company growth over AI safety.

Members five and six – Mr Altman himself and then-president Greg Brockman – opposed it but were outvoted.

“I loved my time at OpenAI,” Mr Altman posted on X as the news broke, describing it as “transformative”.

“Will have more to say about what’s next later.”

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman at summit

The immediate fallout

OpenAI made chief technology officer Mira Murati interim CEO.

But as hundreds of staff made their displeasure about Altman’s sacking known, she made attempts to secure his stunning return to stave off the revolt.

“OpenAI is nothing without its people,” many employees wrote together on X – including Ms Murati herself.

Mr Altman was reportedly keen on the idea of returning. His brother Jack, also a start-up CEO, of HR firm Lattice, warned his detractors they were “betting against the wrong guy”.

But by Sunday, Mr Altman and Mr Brockman had joined OpenAI investor Microsoft to lead an AI research team.

Bloomberg reported the tech giant’s CEO Satya Nadella was “furious” and blindsided about the ousting.

OpenAI responded by hiring Emmett Shear, the former boss of streaming site Twitch, as Mr Altman’s replacement.

But the sense of panic at OpenAI was obvious, as more than 500 employees signed a letter threatening to quit.

Nothing encapsulated the chaos more than Mr Sutskever signing, saying he “deeply regrets” the board’s decision.

Altman’s homecoming

Despite joining Microsoft, Mr Altman left the door open for a return to OpenAI.

The two companies were already closely aligned, with the Windows maker investing $10bn in it earlier this year and using its GPT tech to reinvent its Bing search engine and Office products.

According to tech news site The Verge, citing multiple sources, Mr Altman and Mr Brockman were willing to return to OpenAI if the board members who staged the coup walked away.

Mr Nadella told CNBC “it’s very, very clear something has to change around governance”.

“We’ll have a good dialogue with their board on that,” he said.

Mr Altman suggested he’d stay involved with OpenAI in some capacity, posting: “We are all going to work together some way or other, and I’m so excited.”

OpenAI announced his return “in principle” on Wednesday morning (UK time) – and Mr Altman seemed to have got his way.

The company said there would be a “new initial board” of Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo.

“We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this,” it added.

Mr Summers is a former US treasury secretary, while Mr Taylor – the new chair – co-created Google Maps.

Mr Brockman will also be returning to the company.

What happens now?

Mr Altman has suggested his return means he won’t be working at Microsoft after all.

Mr Nadella appeared fine with that, saying he was “encouraged” by the changes to OpenAI’s board.

As for the old board, Mr Sutskever may be hoping his quick change of tact keeps him on side.

And then there’s Mr Shear, who will go down in history as one of Silicon Valley’s shortest-lived CEOs.

The executive, a previously self-professed AI “doomer” who has warned of its existential threat to humanity, had claimed he was not told why Mr Altman was dismissed.

“I am deeply pleased by this result,” he said of Mr Altman’s return.

“I’m glad to have been a part of the solution.”

FILE - The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen displaying output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. Several news organizations, writers and photographers groups are seeking regulations to govern the fast-moving artificial intelligence technology that threatens upheavals for their businesses. In an open letter sent on Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023, outlined priorities for setting rules on the technology, which is developing faster than regulators can keep up with.
Image:
ChatGPT launched in November 2022

Why the future of OpenAI matters

The San Francisco-based company has been around since 2015 and even then had some big names on its books, including Elon Musk.

He and Mr Altman were the first people on the board to guide the firm’s quest to develop “safe and beneficial” artificial general intelligence, which refers to super-powerful AI capable of outperforming humans in a number of tasks

But it wasn’t until November 2022 that OpenAI was thrust into mainstream attention thanks to ChatGPT, attracting more than 100 million users in just a few months.

With AI tipped to have a similarly transformative impact on the world as the Industrial Revolution, Mr Altman has been rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s most powerful politicians as he looks to help shape potential regulation.

Read more:
12 challenges with AI that ‘must be addressed’
We let an AI chatbot help write an article – here’s how it went

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Will AI mean ‘no job is needed’?

Mr Altman hasn’t been shy of warning about the risks of AI, but is undoubtedly committed to pushing the boundaries and, perhaps more significantly to the drama of recent days, maximising its commercial potential.

The OpenAI developer conference he appeared at before his sacking was all about empowering third parties to leverage the firm’s GPT tech in their products – even building their own digital assistants.

And in September, the Financial Times reported ex-Apple designer Jony Ive was in talks with OpenAI to build the “iPhone of AI”.

Such projects would go against OpenAI’s non-profit origins. The firm launched a profit-focused arm in 2019, but it didn’t go down well with some of its original investors – including Musk, who quit.

Swapping Mr Altman for Mr Shear, who previously said he’s “in favour of slowing down” AI development, looked like a sign OpenAI wanted to return to its roots.

One thing we should all hope slows down is the drama surrounding Mr Altman’s employment – a saga not even ChatGPT could have written, and one that sent one of the world’s most influential companies into meltdown.

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LA fires: ‘Nothing left’ of Mel Gibson’s house as he urges California governor to ‘spend less on hair gel’

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LA fires: 'Nothing left' of Mel Gibson's house as he urges California governor to 'spend less on hair gel'

Mel Gibson says there is “nothing left” of his Hollywood home following the LA wildfires and “someone should answer” for the devastation.

The Braveheart star was with podcaster Joe Rogan when the flames engulfed his Malibu mansion and said he was a “little tense” while recording their discussion.

But he knew his family were “out of harm’s way” and a few “necessary things” such as passports were saved.

The loss of his home and others is “tragic”, however, and it “makes you really sad”, he added.

While describing lost items as “only things”, he said they included “works of art, photographs, [and] rare books”, some of them dating back to 1600.

Regarding the conduct of the authorities, he told Fox News: “Apparently, some people were asleep on the job, mainly our leaders.

“That’s something they have to live with. Kids are traumatised. Someone should answer for it.”

Asked if he had a message for California governor Gavin Newsom, or Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, he commented: “Spend less on hair gel.”

LA fires latest: Civilian drone ‘rips hole in emergency plane’

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Celebrities’ homes have burned down in the LA fires

At least 16 people have been killed in the blazes, with more than 100,000 asked to evacuate their homes.

The fires have affected multiple celebrities, ripping through exclusive suburbs in southern California, home to film stars and billionaires.

Legendary British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has reportedly lost his home in the Pacific Palisades fire.

The star – perhaps best known for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs – posted a message on Instagram, in which he said: “As we all struggle to heal from the devastation of these fires, it’s important we remember that the only thing we take with us is the love we give.”

The mother of British child star Rory Sykes, 32, has confirmed her son died in the Pacific Palisades fire.

Sykes appeared in TV programme Kiddy Kapers in the 1990s.

Shelley Sykes said her “beautiful son” was “born blind with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking” but had overcome “so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and to be able to learn to walk”.

Pic: Paris Hilton/Instagram/Reuters
Image:
Pic: Paris Hilton/Instagram/Reuters

Paris Hilton, meanwhile, says her “heart shattered into a million pieces” after visiting the charred remains of her Malibu beach house.

Describing herself as “in complete shock”, the hotel heiress said seeing her family memories “reduced to ashes” was “devastating”.

Hilton, 43, said she watched her home burn to the ground on TV – and shared a video on social media from inside the gutted structure.

She said she was grateful to be safe along with her husband Carter Reum and their two children, Phoenix and London, but was still devastated.

She wrote on Instagram: “I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.

“When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock – I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.”

She has lived in the multi-million-pound property for three years.

Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
Pic: AP
Image:
Water dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. Pic: AP

Hilton added: “This house wasn’t just a place to live – it was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family.

“It was where [son] Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.

“What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn’t just my story. So many people have lost everything. It’s not just walls and roofs – it’s the memories that made those houses homes. It’s the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives.”

She described herself as “incredibly lucky”, adding: “My loved ones – my babies – and my pets are safe. That’s the most important thing”.

She thanked the firefighters, first responders and volunteers who she said were “all risking their lives” to help, adding: “Even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world.”

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Image:
The West Hills section of Los Angeles. Pic: AP

Read more:
What caused the ferocious fires and when will they end?
Furious LA woman challenges governor over wildfires response

LA fires as of Friday morning
Image:
LA fires as of Friday morning

Presenter Ricki Lake said she and her husband Ross had lost their “dream home” and their “heaven on earth”.

She said on Instagram: “We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved Malibu for granted, not even for one second.

“This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married three years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event.”

The ancestral home of Big Lebowski actor Jeff Bridges is also understood to have been destroyed.

The four-bedroom home, which had been in the Bridges family for generations, was inherited by Bridges and his two siblings in 2018 according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tina Knowles, mother of singer Beyonce, has also lost a house she owned in Malibu to the fires.

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Image:
Tina Knowles with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter in December. Pic: AP

She shared a short video of dolphins playing in the sea on Instagram, writing: “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu! It was my favourite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!!”

She went on to thank the fire department and first responders and offered condolences to others affected by the fires.

Take That star Mark Owen and his family were evacuated from their home, his wife Emma Ferguson describing them waking to “helicopters, thick black smoke and winds howling”.

She said that while she was grateful her family was safe, it was “exhausting” to be “constantly looking online to see if your house is gone”.

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Steve Guttenberg: ‘I’ve seen such tragedy’

Actor Steve Guttenberg, best known for his role in the Police Academy film franchise, has called the fires “absolutely the worst” he has ever seen and has been doing what he can to help distressed residents.

Other stars to have lost their homes in the fires include Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, Diane Warren, Cary Elwes, Milo Ventimiglia, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.

On Friday, the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, and charity MusiCares pledged $1m (£813,000) to support music artists affected by the fires.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has pledged the same amount to fire relief efforts from her family foundation.

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LA fires: ‘Nothing left’ of Mel Gibson’s house as he urges California governor to ‘spend less on hair gel’

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LA fires: 'Nothing left' of Mel Gibson's house as he urges California governor to 'spend less on hair gel'

Mel Gibson says there is “nothing left” of his Hollywood home following the LA wildfires and “someone should answer” for the devastation.

The Braveheart star was with podcaster Joe Rogan when the flames engulfed his Malibu mansion and said he was a “little tense” while recording their discussion.

But he knew his family were “out of harm’s way” and a few “necessary things” such as passports had been saved.

But the loss of his home and others is “tragic” and it “makes you really sad”, he added.

While describing lost items as “only things”, he said they included “works of art, photographs, [and] rare books”, some of them dating back to 1600.

Regarding the conduct of the authorities, he told Fox News: “Apparently, some people were asleep on the job, mainly our leaders.

“That’s something they have to live with. Kids are traumatised. Someone should answer for it.”

Asked if he had a message for California governor Gavin Newsom, or Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, he commented: “Spend less on hair gel.”

LA fires latest: Civilian drone ‘rips hole in emergency plane’

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Celebrities’ homes have burned down in the LA fires

At least 16 people have been killed in the blazes, with more than 100,000 asked to evacuate their homes.

The fires have affected multiple celebrities, ripping through exclusive suburbs in southern California, home to film stars and billionaires.

Legendary British actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has reportedly lost his home in the Pacific Palisades fire.

The star – perhaps best known for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs – posted a message on Instagram, in which he said: “As we all struggle to heal from the devastation of these fires, it’s important we remember that the only thing we take with us is the love we give.”

The mother of British child star Rory Sykes, 32, has confirmed her son died in the Pacific Palisades fire.

Sykes appeared in TV programme Kiddy Kapers in the 1990s.

Shelley Sykes said her “beautiful son” was “born blind with cerebral palsy and had difficulty walking” but had overcome “so much with surgeries and therapies to regain his sight and to be able to learn to walk”.

Pic: Paris Hilton/Instagram/Reuters
Image:
Pic: Paris Hilton/Instagram/Reuters

Paris Hilton, meanwhile, says her “heart shattered into a million pieces” after visiting the charred remains of her Malibu beach house.

Describing herself as “in complete shock”, the hotel heiress said seeing her family memories “reduced to ashes” was “devastating”.

Hilton, 43, said she watched her home burn to the ground on TV – and shared a video on social media from inside the gutted structure.

She said she was grateful to be safe along with her husband Carter Reum and their two children, Phoenix and London, but was still devastated.

She wrote on Instagram: “I’m standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.

“When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock – I couldn’t process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.”

She has lived in the multi-million-pound property for three years.

Water is dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills.
Pic: AP
Image:
Water dropped by helicopter on the burning Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills. Pic: AP

Hilton added: “This house wasn’t just a place to live – it was where we dreamed, laughed, and created the most beautiful memories as a family.

“It was where [son] Phoenix’s little hands made art that I’ll cherish forever, where love and life filled every corner. To see it reduced to ashes… it’s devastating beyond words.

“What breaks my heart even more is knowing that this isn’t just my story. So many people have lost everything. It’s not just walls and roofs – it’s the memories that made those houses homes. It’s the photos, the keepsakes, the irreplaceable pieces of our lives.”

She described herself as “incredibly lucky”, adding: “My loved ones – my babies – and my pets are safe. That’s the most important thing”.

She thanked the firefighters, first responders and volunteers who she said were “all risking their lives” to help, adding: “Even in the ashes, there is still beauty in this world.”

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Image:
The West Hills section of Los Angeles. Pic: AP

Read more:
What caused the ferocious fires and when will they end?
Furious LA woman challenges governor over wildfires response

LA fires as of Friday morning
Image:
LA fires as of Friday morning

Presenter Ricki Lake said she and her husband Ross had lost their “dream home” and their “heaven on earth”.

She said on Instagram: “We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved Malibu for granted, not even for one second.

“This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married three years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event.”

The ancestral home of Big Lebowski actor Jeff Bridges is also understood to have been destroyed.

The four-bedroom home, which had been in the Bridges family for generations, was inherited by Bridges and his two siblings in 2018 according to the Los Angeles Times.

Tina Knowles, mother of singer Beyonce, has also lost a house she owned in Malibu to the fires.

Tina Knowles, from left, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Blue Ivy Carter arrive at the premiere of "Mufasa: The Lion King" on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Image:
Tina Knowles with Jay-Z, Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter in December. Pic: AP

She shared a short video of dolphins playing in the sea on Instagram, writing: “This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu! It was my favourite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!!”

She went on to thank the fire department and first responders and offered condolences to others affected by the fires.

Take That star Mark Owen and his family were evacuated from their home, his wife Emma Ferguson describing them waking to “helicopters, thick black smoke and winds howling”.

She said that while she was grateful her family was safe, it was “exhausting” to be “constantly looking online to see if your house is gone”.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Steve Guttenberg: ‘I’ve seen such tragedy’

Actor Steve Guttenberg, best known for his role in the Police Academy film franchise, has called the fires “absolutely the worst” he has ever seen and has been doing what he can to help distressed residents.

Other stars to have lost their homes in the fires include Billy Crystal, Miles Teller, Diane Warren, Cary Elwes, Milo Ventimiglia, Anna Faris, Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag.

On Friday, the Recording Academy, which runs the Grammy Awards, and charity MusiCares pledged $1m (£813,000) to support music artists affected by the fires.

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has pledged the same amount to fire relief efforts from her family foundation.

Continue Reading

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A new world order? Why there is method in Trump’s ramblings – and the UK needs to work with him

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