OpenAI’s Sam Altman could get 7% stake as start-up discusses shift to for-profit model

OpenAI is discussing giving chief executive officer Sam Altman a 7 per cent equity stake in the company and restructuring to become a for-profit business, people familiar with the matter said, a major shift that would mark the first time Altman is granted ownership in the artificial intelligence (AI) start-up.

The company is considering becoming a public benefit corporation, tasked with turning a profit and also helping society, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The transition is still under discussion and a timeline has not been determined, one of the people said.

In a statement, a spokesperson said OpenAI remains “focused on building AI that benefits everyone”, adding, “the non-profit [nature] is core to our mission and will continue to exist”.

In a statement on X, Murati said she was “stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration”. In response, Altman expressed “tremendous gratitude” for Murati’s contributions, writing, “It’s hard to overstate how much Mira has meant to OpenAI, our mission, and to us all personally.” He also said that he would share more with employees about transition plans soon.