OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman's sister filed a lawsuit agains him in a federal court, accusing him of sexually abusing her for almost a decade.
According to a Bloomberg report, 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.
The report said the lawsuit was filed on Monday. It alleged that 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 said, "Annie continues to demand more money from us." His statement alleged, “Over the years, we've tried in many ways to support Annie and help her find stability, following professional advice on how to be supportive without enabling harmful behaviors.”
“To give a sense of our efforts, we have given her monthly financial support, directly paid her bills, covered her rent, helped her find employment opportunities, attempted to get her medical help, and have offered to buy her a house through a trust [so that she would have a secure place to live, but not be able to sell it immediately]. Via our late father's estate, Annie receives monthly financial support, which we expect to continue for the rest of her life,” the statement read.
It added, "…We've chosen not to respond publicly, out of respect for her privacy and our own. However, she has now taken legal action against Sam, and we feel we have no choice but to address this."
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.
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