The OpenAI leadership saga is way more intense than I ever realized. A brand new 62-page deposition from co-founder Ilya Sutskever just dropped, and it’s an absolute goldmine of information. I just watched an awesome video where this AI professional broke down the entire document, and the details are absolutely fascinating!
This whole thing adds so much context to the drama around Sam Altman’s temporary firing.
🕵️ The Secret Anti-Sam Memo
The deposition centers on a secret 52-page memo Ilya created to make the case for removing Sam Altman. The post’s author reveals that the independent board members actually asked Ilya to compile it. It was filled with screenshots and notes, mostly sourced from Mira Murati, to paint a picture of Sam’s alleged leadership failures.
The document accused Sam of a “consistent pattern of lying, undermining his execs and pitting his execs against one another.” The creator points out that Ilya was so worried about retaliation that he sent the memo using a disappearing email, fearing Sam would “find a way to make them disappear.”
This wasn’t a sudden decision, either. The deposition reveals Ilya had been considering the need to remove Sam for at least a year.
Here are some of the most stunning revelations from the video:
- 📌 The “Destroy the Company” Moment: One of the most shocking details was board member Helen Toner’s mindset. When executives argued that firing Sam would destroy OpenAI, she reportedly replied that allowing the company “to be destroyed would be consistent with the mission.” This expert highlights just how committed she was to the original non-profit principles, even if it meant killing the company.
- ✅ The Anthropic Merger Attempt: During the chaos of Sam’s firing, a proposal was made for OpenAI to merge with its rival, Anthropic. This talented creator explains that Ilya was completely against it, but the rest of the board, especially Helen Toner, was “a lot more supportive.” It’s wild to think about a world where Anthropic’s leadership took over OpenAI.
- 💡 Mira Murati Was the Source: A lot of the damaging information Ilya had on Sam Altman and Greg Brockman came directly from Mira Murati. The deposition shows Ilya admitting Mira told him about Sam’s alleged issues at Y Combinator and Greg’s supposed firing from Stripe. This innovator points out that Ilya never verified this information because he said he “fully believed the information that Meera was giving me.”
This is just scratching the surface of the boardroom drama and lawyer bickering. I highly recommend watching the full breakdown from the one who posted it for all the juicy details.