Sam Altman is a famous American tech entrepreneur and investor. He is best known as the CEO of OpenAI, the company that made ChatGPT, and for being the former president of Y Combinator, a startup accelerator.
Sam was born in 1985 and started coding when he was just 8 years old. He left Stanford University to follow his dreams in tech, and later co-founded several companies. Today, he is one of the leading voices in artificial intelligence and future technologies.
Sam Altman Wiki/Bio
| Field | Information |
| Full Name | Samuel Harris Altman |
| Date of Birth | April 22, 1985 |
| Age | 40 years (as of 2025) |
| Profession | Entrepreneur, Investor, Programmer |
| Hometown | St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
| Current Residence | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Nationality | American (Jewish heritage) |
| @sama | |
| X (Twitter) | @sama |
Early Life
Sam Altman was born on April 22, 1985, in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. His mom, Connie Gibstine, is a dermatologist, and his dad, Jerry Altman, is a real estate broker. He has two brothers, Max and Jack, and one sister, Annie.
Sam got his first computer when he was 8 and started learning to code. He studied at John Burroughs School, a well-known private school. In high school, he came out as gay and encouraged safe spaces for LGBTQ+ students.
At age 19, Sam joined Stanford University to study computer science. He dropped out after two years to build his first startup.
Education
| School | John Burroughs School, Missouri |
| University | Stanford University (2003–2005, dropped out) |
| Honorary Degree | Doctor of Engineering, University of Waterloo (2017) |
Family Details
| Parents | Connie Gibstine (mother), Jerry Altman (father) |
| Siblings | Max, Jack, and Annie Altman |
| Relationship | Engaged to Oliver Mulherin (since 2023) |
| Children | None |
Sam is openly gay and is engaged to Oliver Mulherin, an Australian software engineer. They live in San Francisco and also own a ranch in Napa Valley. He does not have children. In early 2025, his sister Annie filed a lawsuit against him, which he and other family members denied.
Career
Sam’s tech journey began in 2005 when he co-founded Loopt, a location-sharing app. It raised over $30 million and was later sold for $43.4 million.
In 2011, he joined Y Combinator, helping young startups like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. He became president in 2014 and stayed until 2019.
In 2015, he co-founded OpenAI to build safe AI. In 2019, he became CEO. In 2022, OpenAI launched ChatGPT, making him a key figure in the AI world.
He also invested in companies like Stripe, Reddit, and Helion Energy. He helped create Worldcoin, a global ID system.
Career Highlights
| Year | Achievement |
| 2005 | Co-founded Loopt |
| 2012 | Sold Loopt for $43.4 million |
| 2014 | Became President of Y Combinator |
| 2015 | Co-founded OpenAI |
| 2019 | Became CEO of OpenAI |
| 2022 | Launched ChatGPT |
| 2023 | Engaged to Oliver Mulherin |
Net Worth
| Estimated Net Worth | $500 million – $1.8 billion (as of 2025) |
| Main Sources | Startup investments, Loopt sale, Helion Energy, Reddit, Stripe |
| Assets | Napa Valley ranch, Koenigsegg Regera supercar (worth $4.65 million) |
Sam doesn’t own shares in OpenAI, but he is still very wealthy thanks to early investments and other companies.
Controversies
- Family Lawsuit (2025): His sister Annie accused him of abuse during childhood, but Sam and the rest of the family called the claims “completely false.”
- Y Combinator Exit (2020): Reports said Sam claimed to be board chairman without full approval, which led to him leaving.
- AI Safety Criticism (2023): Some critics said he was moving too fast with AI, even though he signed letters warning about its dangers.
