OpenAI's Leadership Turmoil Threatens January Tender Offer
OpenAI's tender offer, led by Thrive Capital, is still on track and set to value the company at around $86 billion. The offer allows employees to sell their shares to outside investors, providing liquidity. The round had been extended to January 5, following a period of leadership turmoil and board reshuffling. Sam Altman's temporary ouster threatened the round, but his return cleared the way for it to proceed. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's announcement that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman would lead a new AI lab under Microsoft caused uproar among investors and employees, leading to significant board turnover. Altman and Brockman have now officially returned to their previous roles, and a new board has been announced. Microsoft holds a 49% stake in OpenAI.
