In a move echoing the philanthropic commitments of tech tycoons before him, Altman and his husband, technology investor Oliver Mulherin, expressed their commitment to philanthropy in a letter to The Giving Pledge on May 18. They emphasized a focus on “technology that helps create abundance for people” and expressed gratitude for the support that enabled their success
The Silicon Valley entrepreneur, known for his visionary leadership in AI and technology, joins the ranks of luminaries like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in a commitment to giving back to society.
The Giving Pledge, founded in 2010 by Bill Gates, his wife Melinda, and Warren Buffett, aims to encourage wealthy individuals to commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. Over 246 signatories from 30 countries have pledged their support, including Altman.
“We would not be making this pledge if it weren’t for the hard work, brilliance, generosity, and dedication to improve the world of many people that built the scaffolding of society that let us get here. There is nothing we can do except feel immense gratitude and commit to pay it forward and do what we can to build the scaffolding up a little higher.
We intend to focus our giving on supporting technology that helps create abundance for people, so that they can then build the scaffolding even higher.”- Pledge letter
Sam Altman, is worth an estimated $2 Billion to the source. Altman, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with Elon Reeve Musk, has been in the spotlight since his abrupt firing and rehiring in November 2023.
Altman is now facing controversy for allegedly using Scarlett Johansson’s voice for OpenAI’s ChatGPT without her consent, resulting in a similar-sounding voice assistant named Sky. OpenAI is also dealing with lawsuits from several newspapers over copyright infringement claims.