Sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman files lawsuit against brother alleging sexual abuse as child
8 January 2025, 09:18 | Updated: 8 January 2025, 09:29
The sister of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has filed a lawsuit in the United States alleging that he regularly sexually abused her over a number of years, starting when they were children.
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The lawsuit alleges that the abuse began when Ann Altman was three and Mr Altman was 12, and also includes an allegation of rape - with the filing alleging the last instance of abuse took place when Mr Altman was an adult but she was still a child.
In a joint statement posted to his account on X with his mother and two brothers, the OpenAI boss denied the allegations, calling them "utterly untrue".
"Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her wellbeing," the statement said.
"Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult."
It added: "Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam.
"This situation causes immense pain to our entire family."
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The family statement says Ms Altman has previously made a wide range of other allegations against members of the Altman family, that they have offered her financial support and asked her to receive medical help but that she "refuses conventional treatment".
Ms Altman has also previously made similar allegations against her brother on social media platforms.
In the court documents, filed in the US state of Missouri, Ms Altman's lawyers say she has experienced mental health issues as a result of the alleged abuse.
The lawsuit requests a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000 (£60,000).
Mr Altman is one of the tech sector's most prominent figures, having overseen the rise of OpenAI up to and since its launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, which sparked the ongoing boom around the generative AI technology that powers ChatGPT.
