Sam Altman's sister accuses him of sexual abuse, OpenAI CEO rejects claim

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman denies sister Ann Altman's sexual abuse allegations, calls claims 'utterly untrue' in a family statement following her lawsuit citing years of alleged abuse

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter) following a lawsuit filed by his sister, Ann Altman, accusing him of years of sexual abuse. The statement, attributed to Altman, his mother, and his brother, denies the allegations.

 

Ann Altman’s lawsuit, as reported by CNBC, claims that Sam sexually abused her from 1997 to 2006.

 

What are the allegations made by Ann Altman?

 

Ann, 30, alleges that Sam Altman manipulated and abused her during their childhood in Missouri, starting in the late 1990s. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, states that the abuse began when she was 3 years old and continued until she was a minor, while Sam had become an adult. Ann has previously made similar accusations against her brother on social media.  

 

The lawsuit also claims that the abuse caused Ann "severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression," which is expected to persist in the future.

 

Sam Altman’s response  

 

Sam Altman, 39, responded on X with a statement on behalf of himself, his family, and his brothers, calling the allegations "utterly untrue."

 

"Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her well-being. Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult. We know many families facing similar struggles understand this well," the statement begins.   

  Altman’s statement outlines the family’s attempts to support Ann over the years, including paying her bills, helping with rent, finding job opportunities, covering medical costs, and offering to purchase her a house.  

 

“Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us. In this vein, Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam. 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,” the statement adds.  

 

The family further claims that Ann has accused them of withholding their father’s 401k funds, hacking her Wi-Fi, and “shadowbanning” her on platforms like ChatGPT and Twitter.

 

"The worst allegation she has made is that she was sexually abused by Sam as a child (she has also claimed instances of sexual abuse from others). Her claims have evolved drastically over time. Newly for this lawsuit, they now include allegations of incidents where Sam was over 18,” it states.

 

“This situation causes immense pain to our entire family. It is especially gut-wrenching when she refuses conventional treatment and lashes out at family members who are genuinely trying to help,” the family concludes, adding that the accusations are “utterly untrue.”