Sam Altman leaves OpenAI, will Worldcoin become his career focus?

Author: 0xAyA, Odaily Planet Daily

On November 17, Eastern Time, OpenAI suddenly released a statement announcing that the company's CEO Sam Altman would be leaving. Currently, the company's Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati will temporarily take over the CEO position. OpenAI stated that the selection of a new CEO is still ongoing.

The statement indicated that Mr. Altman's departure was a decision made after careful consideration and review by the board of directors, citing that he had not been sufficiently candid in his communications with the board, which affected his ability to fulfill his responsibilities. The board has lost confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI.

Just a few hours earlier, Sam Altman tweeted: "I have really enjoyed my time at OpenAI. For me personally, it has been a transformative experience, and I hope it has been transformative for the world as well. Most importantly, I have loved working with these incredibly talented people."

Meanwhile, OpenAI employee Alex Cohen tweeted that he and his boss Sam were both fired by OpenAI and are looking for new jobs. OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman also tweeted that he would be leaving OpenAI due to Sam's departure.

CoinMarketCap data shows that Worldcoin's token WLD fell over 13% to $1.91 on the same day. Worldcoin raised 115 million dollars in a Series C funding round led by Blockchain Capital in May. In March of this year, reports indicated that Altman was a board member of Worldcoin but did not participate in "day-to-day" operations.

As a well-known entrepreneur and investor, Sam has a huge interest in the fields of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, and besides Worldcoin, he has also led investments in several startups related to cryptocurrency and blockchain. When piecing together Sam's other business ventures, it is not difficult to see that he is attempting to build a future utopia dominated by high technologies such as AI, crypto, and energy technology.

Previously, he stated in a video interview that Bitcoin, as an unregulated currency, is a super-logical and important step on the technology tree. Regarding the SEC and the U.S. government's stance on cryptocurrency, Sam also expressed his concerns, believing that the U.S. government is waging a "war" on cryptocurrency and hopes to "control" Bitcoin, while he also opposes CBDCs. In Joe Rogan's podcast, he stated: "I am disappointed with the recent actions of the U.S. government, but I believe we cannot give up in this war on cryptocurrency; we will take control of 'Bitcoin and cryptocurrency.'"

Considering Sam's previous attitude and interest in cryptocurrency, as well as his vision for the future world, it is possible that Sam may focus on the Worldcoin project for some time and formally join the day-to-day operations, similar to what Steve Jobs did after being fired from Apple—after being fired, Jobs founded NeXT, a company dedicated to developing high-end computers and software.

The NeXT operating system later became the foundation for Apple's resurgence, and NeXT was acquired by Apple, allowing Jobs to return to the company. Additionally, Jobs founded Pixar Animation Studios, which later became a leading company in animated film production, creating a series of successful films such as "Toy Story," "The Incredibles," and "Monsters, Inc." Pixar was later acquired by Disney, and Jobs became one of Disney's largest shareholders.

Currently, Worldcoin has not responded regarding Altman's future at Worldcoin or its future plans.

Persisting in the pursuit of dreams, innovation, and hard work in times of adversity is a necessary path to becoming a leader. We may look forward to Sam making significant progress on the Worldcoin project, contributing to the development of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, while realizing his vision for the future world.