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Fortune
Fortune
Emma Burleigh

OpenAI may soon be the most valuable private company—but Sam Altman’s net worth won’t jolt, as the CEO holds no equity and makes just $76,001 a year

Sam Altman OpenAI AI Reddit Airbnb Uber Elon Musk Fortune Asana Y Combinator
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (Credit: Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images)
  • OpenAI is on the brink of becoming the world’s most valuable private company, anticipated to reach a $500 billion valuation after a $6 billion planned shares sale. But its cofounder and CEO, Sam Altman, won’t be shooting up the billionaire list for the major accomplishment—he currently holds zero equity in the AI company, earning an annual salary of $76,001. Instead, the bulk of his $1.9 billion fortune comes from his early investments in industry titans, including Reddit, Uber, Asana, and Airbnb. 

The AI race is one of the hottest business wars this decade, with the market expected to be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033. And OpenAI has been a front-runner in the fierce battle, with ChatGPT amassing a staggering 800 million active users, according to CEO Sam Altman. 

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