Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, joined the Giving Pledge’s roster of affluent donors who have pledged to donate more than half of their fortunes, the organization announced on Tuesday. After a turbulent six months during which he was fired from his position as CEO of OpenAI, the firm that created ChatGPT, and then brought back, Altman has made this commitment. According to Forbes, Altman, a venture investor and co-founder of the San Francisco-based corporation, has accumulated most of his $1 billion wealth through investments.
Altman initially founded OpenAI as a nonprofit research lab dedicated to safely building AI for humanity’s benefit. Now, he aims to focus his philanthropic efforts on “technology that helps create abundance for people.” In a May 18 Giving Pledge letter, Altman and his husband, technology investor Oliver Mulherin, expressed their gratitude and commitment to giving back. “We would not be making this pledge if it weren’t for the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here,” Altman wrote. “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.”
The Giving Pledge was established in 2010 by Warren Buffett, Melinda French Gates, and Bill Gates with the goal of encouraging generosity among the world’s wealthiest people in order to address pressing global issues. Over 240 signatories representing 30 nations have pledged to donate the majority of their income to charitable causes. Critics counter that insufficient control exists to guarantee that members honor their commitments.
In addition to Altman, the latest signatories include Mercuria CEO Marco Dunand and entrepreneur Suzan Craig Dunand, who co-founded a Swiss foundation to accelerate the transition to net zero carbon emissions; Robert D. Goldfarb, a retired value investor planning to give 90% of his wealth during his lifetime; investor Jahm Najafi and entrepreneur Cheryl Najafi, focusing their giving on racial equity; and technology investment capital firm head Hemant Taneja and real estate developer Jessica Schantz Taneja.
Altman’s pledge underscores a growing recognition among tech leaders of the importance of philanthropy in addressing global challenges, reflecting his continued commitment to leveraging technology for the betterment of humanity.
