Skift Take
Will Sam Altman return to OpenAI? Will he bring Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky along with him as an OpenAI director? The competition will be intense for any board openings.
Update: Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella announced November 20 that ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman would be joining Microsoft as CEO to head a new group within the company. So Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky potentially becoming an OpenAI board member was not going to happen. In a twist, on November 22, OpenAi announced that Altman would be returning as CEO. Chesky was reportedly involved in some of the talks involving Altman and OpenAI.
From his posts and re-posts on X, it's clear that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is highly supportive of Sam Altman, the ousted CEO of OpenAI, and now-former board Chairman Greg Brockman, and Chesky seems to be in-the-know about some of the maneuverings behind the scenes.
One knowledgeable source told Skift that Chesky could get appointed to a highly coveted OpenAI board seat if Altman indeed returns to OpenAI.
An Airbnb spokesperson had no comment on the issue.
The situation is very fluid with the OpenAi board said to be negotiating Altman's return following an intense backlash, according to published reports. Some have referred to Altma