OpenAI, as a company, is all about how artificial general intelligence (AGI) can benefit humanity. In the same way, CEO Sam Altman recently announced his intent to donate a majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes. He joins dozens of other billionaires who have contributed hundreds of millions of dollars over many years.
In early May, the 39-year-old Altman and his husband, Oliver Mulherin, said the money would support technology that “helps create abundance for people,” according to a letter in the Giving Pledge.
“We would not be making this pledge if it weren’t for the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improving the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here,” the Giving Pledge letter read. “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.”
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The Giving Pledge
In 2010, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffet founded the Giving Pledge to foster a culture of philanthropy and humanitarianism among the world’s wealthiest people. More than 240 people from 30 countries have pledged to give most of their wealth (more than 50%) to philanthropic causes.
The majority of Giving Pledge signatories are billionaires, and as of 2023, their pledges were estimated at a total of U.S. $600 billion. However, critics argue that signing a letter of intent to give is not a formal commitment. There are also no restrictions in place designating which charitable causes are allowed.
A tumultuous six months for Altman and OpenAI
The past half-year has been rather rabid for Altman, as his donation comes on the heels of his removal and subsequent reinstatement as CEO of the San Francisco-based company behind ChatGPT, which stunned the industry as infighting nearly sunk one of the most vocal voices on artificial intelligence.
Today, Altman’s net worth is easily $2 billion, thanks to several startup investments, like the fusion power company Helion Energy and Retro Biosciences, the Biotech company working to increase the average human lifespan by another ten years, according to a report in Forbes. Altman has also invested over $60 million in Reddit since 2014. It is unclear how much money Altman and Mulherin will donate or which organizations the money will go to.
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