When running AI giant OpenAI becomes too overwhelming Sam Altman turns to pen and paper—it’s a habit shared by Bill Gates and Richard Branson

Sam Altman holds a microphone in hand (Credit: Andrew Harnik—Getty Images)

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is an artificial intelligence pioneer, but the billionaire founder remains a big believer in physical note-taking. It’s a practice he leans on while trying to solve complex business problems, saying he’s “not found anything better to do than to sit down and make myself write it out.” Note-taking is something that fellow titans like Bill Gates and Richard Branson also embrace.

Technology has slowly made taking physical notes a thing of the past, to the delight of Gen Z who have long embraced jotting down ideas on their phone or leaning on voice memos.