OpenAI employees are angry about the departure of Sam Altman. Here’s proof. – LSB

Amid the chaotic aftermath of Sam Altman’s firing, one thing is clear: OpenAI employees, including senior management, are on Altman’s side.

Public posts of support on social media, reports of employees abandoning ship — and now an open letter signed by hundreds of employees threatening to quit — make it abundantly clear that OpenAI employees are angry. This comes after talks to reinstate Altman as CEO fell through and Twitch co-founder Emmett Shear was named as the new CEO.

Altman’s surprise firing on Friday afternoon sent the tech world into a frenzy. Speculation and theories as to why he was suddenly fired ran rampant as people tried to explain what happened. As more details leak out, including posts from Altman and Brockman sharing his side of the story, a narrative took shape that Altman was unfairly fired. Add the failed attempt to bring Altman back to the existing perception that the board wrongly fired Altman, and you have employees in open revolt.

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According to Wired and a tech journalist Kara Swisher, about 500 (out of 700) employees said they would walk out if the board didn’t back down. The letter doesn’t mince words: “Your actions have made it obvious that you are incapable of overseeing OpenAI. We cannot work for or with people who lack competence, judgment and concern for our mission and employees,” it said. The letter said they might choose to work for Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, who had just been hired by Microsoft.

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Top signatories include CTO Mira Muratti, who was initially tapped as interim CEO, COO Brad Lightcap, Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon, as well as Chief Scientist Ilya Suskever, who as a board member helped fire Altman. but now he regrets his part in the coup.

OpenAI is reportedly shedding “dozens of employees,” according to The Information. The open letter makes it clear that hundreds are prepared to walk out if the board is not replaced. Early Monday morning, OpenAI leadership seemingly expressed its support for Altman by posting “OpenAI is nothing without its people” on X (formerly known as Twitter.) Those who posted the apparently coordinated message included Murad, Kwonand Lightcap.

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Here’s a summary. Altman was fired; Brockman refused. Muratti was CEO for about two days. Altman was almost rehired, but the board instead appointed Shear as the new CEO. Sutskever feels bad – and has started a mass exodus from OpenAI.