Sam Altman is the chief executive of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, a role he has held since 2019. A technology entrepreneur and investor, he is also a co-founder of Worldcoin and its parent, Tools for Humanity, and previously ran the startup accelerator Y Combinator.
Born in Chicago in 1985 and raised in St. Louis, Altman studied computer science at Stanford University before leaving to build his first company, the location app Loopt. He joined Y Combinator and became its president, backing a generation of technology startups, before turning his focus to OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015 and has led as chief executive through its rise to one of the most valuable private companies in the world, with a valuation reported above 800 billion dollars in 2026.
Career History
- Chief Executive, OpenAI (2019 to present); co-founder (2015)
- Co-founder, Worldcoin and Tools for Humanity (2019)
- President, Y Combinator
- Co-founder and Chief Executive, Loopt
What Sam Altman brings to OpenAI: a fundraising and platform-building record few can match, deep networks across the technology industry, and a central role in shaping how businesses and governments adopt artificial intelligence.
Facts compiled by Executive Moves from publicly available news and press releases on 26 May 2026. Spotted an inaccuracy? Email us and we'll review within 1 business day.
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