The former OpenAI CTO had evidence, but it mainly complicates her own narrative.
The week before Thanksgiving 2023 was a dramatic period for the AI industry. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was unexpectedly removed from his position at the ChatGPT-maker. The cause? Altman’s lack of transparency with the board. Now, through witness testimony and trial exhibits in Musk v. Altman, the public is getting a behind-the-scenes look at that eventful weekend, with much focus on former CTO Mira Murati.
The situation was unique as the turbulent power play unfolded in a public manner. The board’s vague blog post announcing Altman’s dismissal appeared on OpenAI’s website, igniting conspiracy theories on platforms like X. Eventually, it was alleged the catalyst was Altman’s deceit about OpenAI’s safety processes, his ownership stake in OpenAI’s startup fund, or the release of tools like ChatGPT. Other OpenAI leaders expressed support for Altman. An online movement saw hundreds of OpenAI employees showing support for Altman’s return. Rumors circulated as many awaited more information. The coverage even extended to field reports from trips like Patagonia.
In the midst of this, one relatively low-profile figure was omnipresent: OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. Initially made interim CEO, she quickly stepped aside for outsider Emmett Shear. Within days, Altman was reinstated, and the board that removed him largely disbanded.
Murati backed Altman’s return publicly. However, reports emerged suggesting her pivotal role in initiating his removal. Allegedly, she had sparked internal discussions about Altman, providing significant information to co-founder Ilya Sutskever, who presented a 52-page memo to the board. Former board member Helen Toner testified that Murati’s and Sutskever’s insights heightened concerns about a pattern of deceit and management issues.
On November 16, 2023, four board members—Toner, Ilya Sutskever, Adam D’Angelo, and Tasha McCauley—collectively signed a document terminating Altman’s employment and named Murati the new interim CEO.
Despite her major role in the lead-up, Murati seemingly shifted her allegiance to Altman promptly.
In 78 text messages exchanged over fourteen hours, Murati and Altman discussed the feasibility of his reinstatement and future steps. Altman mentioned board member D’Angelo trying to configure the board, but Altman and Nadella insisted on a backup plan.
At 2:30 AM on Monday, Altman asked for a directional indication of the situation’s gravity, to which Murati responded negatively. Altman then enquired about joining a meeting but was declined. He offered to walk away if beneficial, questioning plans for lawsuits against him.
Murati confirmed the board’s determination for Altman’s departure, explaining her understanding of their concerns. Altman queried why the board had shown interest in his return, to which Murati replied they sought a new CEO instead.
Their discussions also involved Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who favored Altman during the conflict and pledged to employ the entire OpenAI team under Altman at Microsoft. Text exchanges between Murati and Nadella took place, including Murati’s refusal to endorse a board statement criticizing Altman’s transparency issues.
Within days, over 750 OpenAI employees signed a letter threatening to resign for a new Microsoft-led subsidiary under Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman.
The first signature on the letter belonged to Murati.
The letter questioned the board’s process of removing Altman and Brockman and noted Murati’s replacement as interim CEO was against the company’s best interest.
It’s noted Murati expressed reluctance to serve as interim CEO without the board’s decision’s legitimacy. Toner testified Murati appeared unaware or disregarded the decision’s legitimacy’s dependence on her role. Toner described Murati as “unsupportive” post-Altman’s removal and passive about her influential discussions with the board.
In text exchanges, Altman floated the idea of sending a letter from employees to the board, but Murati suggested its futility, claiming the board disregarded employee sentiments but opposed Altman’s control over AGI. Upon Altman’s query about her actions, she confirmed D’Angelo’s knowledge of rehiring Altman.
Monday morning saw Murati updating Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott about the nearing board resignation, indicating Ilya Sutskever endorsed the employee petition.
Murati urged Nadella to publicly affirm support for OpenAI to retain researchers against competitors like Demis or Elon.
Previously, Murati documented her critique of Altman’s frenetic management style—creating chaos and pressure to prioritize revenue over user needs. Her documented 2022 correspondence emphasized direct engagement with her for open concerns.
During the trial, Murati affirmed her management criticisms of Altman, denoting her role’s demands and her call for Altman’s leadership to enable effectively managing her