Sam Altman is a prominent American entrepreneur, investor, and tech visionary known for his work in artificial intelligence and the startup ecosystem. Born in 1985, he grew up in Missouri and showed an early interest in computers. He studied computer science at Stanford University but left early to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions.
At just 19, he co-founded Loopt, a location-based social networking app. Although the app didn’t gain widespread popularity, it laid the foundation for his career in tech and was eventually acquired. Altman’s big break came when he joined Y Combinator, one of the most influential startup accelerators in the world. As its president, he helped scale the program and supported the growth of major companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe.
Altman later co-founded OpenAI with the goal of developing artificial intelligence that benefits all of humanity. Under his leadership, OpenAI launched groundbreaking technologies, including the GPT series and ChatGPT, which quickly became one of the fastest-growing consumer applications in history. His brief removal as CEO in 2023 sparked a public outcry and led to his swift reinstatement.
In addition to his work in AI, Altman has invested in numerous tech startups and is deeply involved in the future of energy through his work with nuclear fusion companies. He also co-founded Worldcoin, a project aimed at creating a new kind of global digital identity and financial network.
Altman is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures shaping the future of technology and artificial intelligence today.
