‘Still don’t want me?’ — trial reveals Sam Altman’s frantic texts after 2023 OpenAI ouster
Mira Murati and Sam Altman shared a heated text exchange during his ouster as CEO of OpenAI in 2023.
As Altman desperately begs to get his job back, Murati tells him, “They don’t want you.”
Texts from Musk v. ongoing in Oakland, California. Altman was shown to jurors in the civil trial.
He was the interim CEO. He was the newly fired CEO. They had a lot to say to each other in a stream of text messages that spanned two days in November 2023.
This exchange shows Altman trying desperately to get back into the company he co-founded; Speaking on the phone with the board members, Murati pours cold water on his comeback dreams.
“They are convinced of their decision,” he tells her. Altman: “Am I going to get fired or is this something new?” “Yes, for you to go.” he replies.
Here are the best parts of the historic transformation.
Early in the conversation, Altman asks how things are going “directionally.” “Too bad,” he replies.
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Murati and Altman begin texting at 5:43 PM Pacific Time on November 19, 2023.
Apparently unable to get into OpenAI’s offices, Altman asks Murati to “formally invite me to the office for a meeting.”
Nearly seven hours later — it’s after 2 a.m. on Nov. 20 — Altman asks for an update on his call with board members.
“Can you indicate whether it is good or bad in terms of direction?” he asks and says “Satya” — Satya Nadella, The CEO of Microsoft, which has a large investment in OpenAI, is “worried”.
“It’s very bad directionally,” Murati said.
Altman offers to help “make things better,” even if it means he “goes away.”
Message exchange between Sam Altman and Mira Murati after OpenAI’s dismissal in 2023trial exhibition
As the texting continues, Altman asks Murati, “What do you want to make this better? I’m still willing to walk away if it helps.”
In turn, he worries that the board “will start filing crazy lawsuits against me” and requests to be heard by the board again.
“They are convinced of their decision,” he tells her.
“For me to get fired or for something new?” he asks.
He tells her, “Yes, for you to leave.”
Microsoft, which has invested heavily in OpenAI, steps in
Message exchange between Sam Altman and Mira Murati after OpenAI’s dismissal in 2023trial exhibition
Altman presses Murati to be quick, asking, “Can you get it together as soon as possible? There’s a lot of pressure from MSFT to update.”
“Sam, that’s too bad,” he replies. When Altman asks for permission to come to the OpenAI office again, he tells her, “They don’t want you to come.”
Altman wants to meet with the board for the third time; “They say no,” Altman tells him again.
Message exchange between Sam Altman and Mira Murati after OpenAI’s dismissal in 2023trial exhibition
“Okay,” says Altman, still desperate to talk to the board. “So can I come and talk to them about a path forward?”
“They say no and they need more time,” says Murati. Altman asks “more time for what?” When he asks, she breaks the news to him that he and she have been replaced.
“They want a new CEO,” Murati tells him.
A few minutes later he told her the new CEO was a “rando twitch guy.” “They don’t want you.”
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Just ten minutes later, Altman asks again: “Don’t you still want me?”
“The new guy Rando is Twitch’s guy,” he replies. Altman says it’s “Emmett?” When he guesses it is – she tells him “Yes”.
Emmett Cutting, The person, who was quickly replaced by Altman after Microsoft stepped in, changed the X banner to “the new guy is rando Twitch guy” using screenshots from newly published text messages this week.
“They don’t care if everyone resigns,” Murati tells Altman, who hoped otherwise (which turned out to be true).
Message exchange between Sam Altman and Mira Murati after OpenAI’s dismissal in 2023trial exhibition
Murati tells Altman that he hopes Nadella “can help fix this situation,” meaning he’ll be removed from office. But even if Altman is successful in winning over staff and co-founders, he is not optimistic.
“They don’t care if everyone quits,” he tells Altman. Meanwhile, he worries that the board wants to make a deal that would transfer OpenAI’s intellectual property to Anthropic.
“What they want is for IP to become anthropic?” he asks.
Murati was highly critical of him at the time. Altman’s leadership. Jurors at Wednesday’s Musk v Altman trial heard video testimony in which he said he created “chaos” by pitting executives against each other and telling people what they wanted to hear.
He said he helped her get her job back to “stabilize” the company amid objections to the board’s handling of her dismissal.
“The company almost collapsed,” he explained in his statement.
“What if msft buys openai?”
Message exchange between Sam Altman and Mira Murati after OpenAI’s dismissal in 2023trial exhibition
More minutes pass and more messages arrive.
Murati tells Altman that he and other board members met with Nadella, and Altman asks him “what happens if msft buys openai?” he asks.
“I think you all need to get a petition from everyone who says they’re going to resign…”
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The exchange ends with Altman presenting a plan that will reinstate him as OpenAI’s CEO within a few hours: get “everyone” to sign a petition threatening to resign.
“I agree too,” Murati tells Altman.
“I think it’s best to get the friendship back and keep people,” Altman says. “I think you all need to get a petition saying everyone is going to resign and join Microsoft.”
“Do you have a minute, do you have time to call?” he asks Murati and the exchange of messages ends.
Later that day, nearly 600 employees (about 95 percent of OpenAI staff) signed a letter Threatening to resign en masse To work at Microsoft. Successfully requested this Altman will be reinstated He served as CEO and the board of directors that fired him resigned.
