Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has announced his commitment to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes, aligning himself with other billionaires who have pledged significant contributions. (Photo : by Andrew Neel / Unsplash)
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, along with his husband Oliver Mulherin, has pledged to donate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes, joining other billionaires in significant contributions.
Their commitment emphasizes supporting technology that fosters abundance for people, expressing gratitude for societal progress that enabled their success.
Altman's net wealth, estimated at least $2 billion, comes from various startup investments, including Fusion power business Helion Energy and biotech company Retro Biosciences. While the pledge is not legally binding, it aligns with the Giving Pledge initiative started by Warren Buffett and the Gates family to encourage substantial charitable giving from the world's elite.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has announced his commitment to donate the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes, aligning himself with other billionaires who have pledged significant contributions.
In a letter posted to the Giving Pledge earlier this month, Altman, 39, and his husband, Oliver Mulherin, detailed their intentions to support technology that fosters abundance for people. They expressed deep gratitude for the efforts of those who have contributed to societal progress, which has enabled their success.
"We would not be making this pledge if it weren't for the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here," the letter states. "There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward, and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher."
This pledge highlights Altman and Mulherin's dedication to leveraging their resources for the betterment of society, focusing on advancements that can create widespread benefits.
Altman's net wealth is at least $2 billion no thanks to OpenAI but rather many startup investments, Bloomberg reported in March. He has invested in Fusion power business Helion Energy, which Microsoft agreed to a nuclear power purchase contract last year, and Retro Biosciences, the Biotech company trying to expand the average human lifespan by another 10 years, according to Forbes. He has also invested approximately $60 million in Reddit since 2014.
The 38-year-old's contribution commitment comes after he was dismissed and promptly restored as CEO of the San Francisco-based startup responsible for AI software ChatGPT. Altman co-founded the firm as a research lab in 2015 and became CEO in 2019.
Like other Giving Pledge commitments, the moral commitment is not legally binding. It's unknown how much money Altman and Mulherin will be contributing and whose charities it will go to.
The altruistic movement, started in 2010 by Warren Buffett and former couple Bill and Melinda French Gates, aims to urge the world's elite to contribute at least half their riches to charities and other philanthropic causes.
Pledgers are required to give throughout their lifetimes or in their wills. Over 245 rich couples or individuals have made the promise covering 30 nations.
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