Sister of OpenAI boss Sam Altman accuses tech billionaire of childhood sexual abuse: CEO denies the claims
Altman and his family denied Ann Altman’s accusations, calling them ‘deeply hurtful and entirely untrue’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI — the company that created ChatGPT — has been accused by his sister of sexually abusing her while they were both children.
Now, he is hitting back at the claims and painting his sister as someone suffering from mental health issues.
Ann Altman, Sam's sister, sued him on January 6, alleging he repeatedly sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006 while she was three and he was 12. The family was living at their home in Clayton, Missouri, when the alleged abuse took place. She claims in her lawsuit that the abuse occurred "several times per week" and included both oral sex and later penetrative rape.
Altman, along with his mother and two brothers, issued a combined statement denying the allegations.
"All of these claims are utterly untrue," Altman said in the statement. "Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her wellbeing. Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is incredibly difficult."
The family statement claims that Ann Altman has "made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam ... This situation causes immense pain to our entire family."
“We’ve chosen not to respond publicly, out of respect for her privacy and our own. However, she has now taken legal action against Sam, and we feel we have no choice but to address this," the statement says.
According to the statement, Ann Altman had made previous allegations against her brother on social media.
In one of those posts, from November 2021, Ann Altman wrote on X that she "experience sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, financial, and technological abuse from my biological siblings, mostly Sam Altman and some from Jack Altman."
In the same message, she speculated that other people had allegedly been abused by her siblings.
"I feel strongly that others have also been abused by these perpetrators. I'm seeking people to join me in pursuing legal justice, safety for others in the future, and group healing," she wrote.
Ann Altman's lawyers have said her mental health issues stemmed from the alleged abuse she suffered, according to the New York Post.
The lawsuit claims that the "acts of sexual assault" caused Ann "severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression, which is expected to continue into the future."
The Altman family claimed in their statement that Ann "refuses conventional treatment and lashes out at family members who are genuinely trying to help."
The family's statement said that they have previously tried to pay for Ann's bills, her rent, and to help her find job opportunities as well as medical assistance. They also allegedly offered to buy her a house through a trust.
The lawsuit, which was filed in the US Eastern District of Missouri, is seeking a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments