ChatGPT Boss Accused of Sexually Abusing His Younger Sister

The sister of OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has accused him in a civil lawsuit of sexually abusing and raping her as a child.

The alleged abuse at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, began in 1997 – when Annie Altman was three and her brother was 12 – and went on until 2006, according to an amended complaint filed in St Louis federal court on Wednesday.

Altman has denied the claim and is countersuing for defamation. He said in a court filing that he had been helping his sister financially but that her case amounted to extortion.

Last month, US district judge ​Zachary Bluestone said Annie Altman’s standalone sexual assault and sexual ‌battery claims expired in 2008, but that she could try pursuing her case under Missouri’s child sexual abuse statute, which allows some accusers to sue over historic abuses.

In a statement posted to X in January 2025, Sam Altman, his mother and two brothers said Annie has “mental ​health challenges” and “refuses conventional treatment and lashes out at family members who are genuinely trying to help”.

A co-founder of OpenAI, the company behind AI chatbot ChatGPT, Sam Altman is worth an estimated $3.3bn (£2.5bn). His company was recently valued at $852bn (£644bn).