Watch neon-clad OpenAI CEO Sam Altman pitch his first startup at 19. Viral video

Loopt's acquisition marked the end of Sam Altman’s first startup journey—but also the beginning of a personal transformation. (Image credit: Cnet)

A grainy video from the early 2000s has resurfaced online, showing a 19-year-old Sam Altman—now CEO of OpenAI—pitching his first startup, Loopt, a location-sharing app that predated features now ubiquitous in Snapchat and Instagram. The clip shows Altman, dressed in a neon pink and fluorescent green collared t-shirt, delivering his pitch with enthusiasm.

“We show you where people are, what they’re doing, and what cool places are around you. We make serendipity happen," the ChatGPT maker says in the video, explaining how Loopt allowed users to geo-locate friends in real time, share photo journals, and even invite someone to lunch—all through the app. The now-viral video has sparked nostalgia and admiration for the then-Stanford dropout’s early ambition.

“Interesting fact. In the book The Optimist, he says he wore the double pink and green polo so people would remember him and chat with him during the developer’s conference. It was a brilliant move!” said one Instagram user. "Interesting, he was actually better at orating then. I wonder if he could choose to do less vocal fry but decides not to," added another.

The birth of Loopt and a $6,000 bet
Speaking to New York Magazine, Altman recalled how he and co-founder Nick Sivo, also a Stanford dropout and Altman’s then-boyfriend, developed Loopt after receiving a $6,000 grant from a founders programme. The grant enabled Altman to live in Cambridge, Massachusetts, among a community of budding tech entrepreneurs.

Despite the modest funding, Altman threw himself into the project with such intensity that he neglected his health—developing scurvy due to a lack of fruits and vegetables in his diet.

“I was so focused on building Loopt that I stopped eating properly,” Altman admitted. “It was a wake-up call.”

Five million users, but no monetisation model
Loopt was ahead of its time. At its peak, it boasted five million registered users and partnerships with every major US carrier. Yet, despite its innovation, the app struggled to monetise. After raising over $30 million, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation in 2012 for $43.4 million.

The acquisition marked the end of Altman’s first startup journey—but also the beginning of a personal transformation.

A year off, an ashram, and a new perspective
Following the sale, Altman took a year off to travel, read, and play video games. He even spent time at an ashram, which he credits with helping him recalibrate his mental health.

“It changed my life,” Altman told New York Magazine. “I’m sure I’m still anxious and stressed in a lot of ways, but my perception of it is that I feel very relaxed and happy and calm.”