By Ava Benny-Morrison and Rachel Metz, Bloomberg News (TNS)
The sister of Sam Altman accused the OpenAI chief executive officer of sexually abusing her for almost a decade, in a lawsuit filed in federal court.
Ann Altman, 30, alleged that Sam Altman abused and manipulated her while they were growing up in Missouri in the late 1990s to early 2000s. According to the lawsuit filed Monday, the alleged abuse began when she was 3 years old and the last instance allegedly occurred when he was an adult but she was still a minor. Ann Altman has previously claimed on social media that Sam Altman abused her.
Sam Altman, 39, posted a statement on behalf of himself, his mother and brothers on X on Tuesday, calling the claims “utterly untrue.”
“This situation causes immense pain to our entire family,” the statement read.
Sam Altman, a longtime Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor, gained a global profile with the massive success of artificial intelligence startup OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot, which sparked an AI frenzy upon its release in late 2022.
Bloomberg News last year estimated Sam Altman’s personal fortune as more than $2 billion, which includes a web of VC funds and startup investments. He has said many times he doesn’t own equity in OpenAI.
Under Missouri state law, plaintiffs can bring claims for childhood sexual abuse up until the age of 31. Ann Altman is suing for damages, claiming she has experienced severe emotional distress and faces mounting medical bills related to her mental health treatment.
The case is Altman v. Altman, 4:25-cv-00017, US District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).
(With assistance from Ellen Huet and Peter Blumberg.)
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