Meet OpenAI’s new board of directors as Sam Altman makes a comeback

OpenAI currently has an unconventional structure, functioning as a partnership between a non-profit research organisation and a for-profit subsidiary

In a surprising turn of events, Sam Altman, fired from his position at OpenAI last week, is set to resume his role as chief executive, ending a boardroom saga that sent shockwaves across the tech industry.

The company has also announced a new initial board of directors.

Former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor will serve as the chair of the new board. Other members include Larry Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury, and Adam D'Angelo, co-founder and CEO of Quora. D’Angelo, a carryover from the previous board that initially ousted Altman, retains his position on the revamped board.

The board no longer includes three directors: Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI's chief scientist; Tasha McCauley, a tech entrepreneur; and Helen Toner, the director of strategy and foundational research grants at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Also read: A timeline of Sam Altman's ouster and return to OpenAI

Taylor was previously the co-CEO of Salesforce, and before that, he served as the chairman of the board of X (earlier known as Twitter). He is currently also a member of the Shopify's board.

Summers, an American economist, served as the 71st United States Secretary of the Treasury in the Clinton administration. He was also the director of the National Economic Council and served as the president of Harvard University.

Meanwhile, D’Angelo, the holdover from OpenAI's previous board, served as the chief technology officer of Facebook (now known as Meta).

According to a report by the news website Verge, the primary objective of this initial board is to assess and nominate a larger board comprising up to nine individuals, aiming to re-establish the governance structure of OpenAI.

OpenAI has an unconventional structure, functioning as a partnership between a non-profit research organisation and a for-profit subsidiary. The board oversees both entities with a primary focus on advancing artificial intelligence that is safe and beneficial for all of humanity rather than prioritising the interests of investors.

The report added that Microsoft, OpenAI's largest investor, wants to have a seat on that expanded board, as does Altman himself.

However, it is unclear what role the recently appointed interim CEO Emmett Shear will have in the company. After Altman's ouster was announced, the company appointed Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati as the interim CEO and later named Shear for the role.

This decision to reinstate Altman comes on the heels of intense pressure from both employees and investors, who expressed strong disapproval of Altman's abrupt ouster by the board last week.

Several employees, including co-founder Ilya Sutskever, on November 20 signed a letter demanding the resignation of the remaining board members.

OpenAI's former board drew sharp criticism for their unexpected removal of Altman as CEO.