The failed defenestration of Sam Altman as OpenAI CEO offers two clear lessons. For disgruntled boards everywhere, it’s not to fire the CEO unless you’re sure they’ll stay fired. For Sam Altman himself, it’s that he is indispensable.
The majority of OpenAI’s staff and its lead investor Microsoft have signaled that they would rather work with Altman than with a version of OpenAI without him. To say his position as reinstated CEO is secure would be an understatement.
