OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visits “Making Money with Charles Payne” at the Fox Business Network studios in New York on December 4, 2024.
Mike Coppola | Getty Images
Anne Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging that her brother regularly sexually assaulted her between 1997 and 2006.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that the abuse occurred at the family home in Clayton, Missouri, and began when Anne, known as Annie, was three years old and Sam was 12 years old. The filing claims the abusive activities occurred “several times a week,” starting with oral sex and later involving penetration.
The lawsuit alleges that “as a direct and proximate result of the aforementioned acts of sexual assault,” Plaintiff suffered “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression, which is expected to continue into the future.”
The younger Altman has publicly made similar allegations of sexual assault against her brother in the past on platforms like X, but this is the first time she has taken him to court. She is represented by Ryan Mahoney, whose Illinois-based firm specializes in matters including sexual assault and harassment.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000.
In a joint statement on X with his mother Connie and brothers Jack and Max, Sam Altman denied the allegations.
“Annie has made extremely hurtful and completely untrue allegations about our family, especially Sam,” the statement read. “We have chosen not to respond publicly, out of respect for her privacy and ours. However, she has now taken legal action against Sam, and we feel we have no choice but to address this matter.”
“All of these allegations are completely untrue,” their response said, adding, “This situation is causing great pain to our entire family.” They said Anne Altman faces “mental health challenges” and “refuses conventional treatment and attacks family members who are sincerely trying to help.”
Sam Altman has gained international fame since OpenAI debuted its AI-powered ChatGPT chatbot in November 2022. Powered by MicrosoftThe company was recently valued at $157 billion, with funding coming from Thrive Capital, chip maker Nvidia, SoftBank and others.
Altman was briefly ousted as CEO by OpenAI's board of directors in November 2023, but was quickly reinstated due to investor and employee pressure.
This isn't the only lawsuit the head coach faces.
In March, Tesla SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and co-founders Altman and Greg Brockman, alleging breach of contract and fiduciary duty. Musk, who now runs a rival AI startup, xAI, was a co-founder of OpenAI when it started as a nonprofit in 2015. Musk left the board in 2018 and has publicly criticized OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its original mission.
Musk is filing a lawsuit to prevent OpenAI from turning into a for-profit company. In June, Musk withdrew the original complaint filed in San Francisco state court and later refiled in federal court.
Last month, OpenAI responded to Musk, claiming in a blog post that Musk in 2017 “did not just want to create a for-profit organization, he actually created one” to serve as the company’s proposed new structure.
Watch: OpenAI reveals for-profit plans
