Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Hints at Potential Return of Sam Altman to OpenAI

In interviews on CNBC and Bloomberg TV tonight, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella expressed that Sam Altman, who was recently dismissed from his position as CEO of OpenAI by the company's board, could potentially return to OpenAI in some form. This comes despite Altman’s announcement earlier today about joining an emerging AI research team at Microsoft, collaborating with former OpenAI president Greg Brockman and other ex-OpenAI researchers.

“Clearly, we want Sam and Greg to find a great place if they’re not at OpenAI,” Nadella stated during his CNBC interview. When asked if Altman could return to OpenAI, he added: “That decision lies with the OpenAI board, management, and employees. Microsoft has chosen to partner with OpenAI, and that partnership hinges on the commitment of OpenAI's team to either stay or join us, so I’m open to exploring both possibilities.”

Nadella's comments seem to corroborate earlier reporting by The Verge, which indicated that Altman's transition to Microsoft was not final. With the recent shift from OpenAI’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever—the strategist behind Altman’s ousting—even if two out of the three remaining board members reconsider their stance, Altman could make a comeback. Notably, Brockman was removed from his role as board chairman on Friday, with Altman having previously occupied the sixth board seat.

Nadella also emphasized that Microsoft wishes to see improvements in OpenAI's governance, particularly concerning investor relations. It has been reported that Microsoft, along with other investors and most OpenAI employees, were informed of Altman's termination mere moments before it was publicly announced. OpenAI is governed by a nonprofit organization to which the board belongs, and investors, including Microsoft—who has invested more than $10 billion into OpenAI—do not have representation on this board.

“It’s evident that changes in governance are necessary. We’ll engage in constructive discussions with their board as things develop,” Nadella commented on CNBC.

The situation at OpenAI has been tumultuous since Altman's firing.

Over the weekend, OpenAI's management and backers, including CTO Mira Murati—who briefly stepped in as interim CEO—began assessing potential board candidates to facilitate Altman’s possible return. Simultaneously, the board embarked on its own CEO search, ultimately naming Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch, after GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Scale AI CEO Alex Wang declined offers.

Shear’s selection has sparked internal controversy. Reports indicate that employees refused to attend an urgent all-hands meeting scheduled for Sunday in light of his appointment, expressing their discontent through a “thumbs down” emoji on OpenAI’s Slack.

The employee base is in widespread revolt—over 700 of the approximately 770 employees, including Sutskever, have signed a letter urging the board to resign and reinstate Altman. In response to the unrest, Salesforce has sought to capitalize on the situation by offering matching salaries to any researchers who resign from OpenAI to join their AI research team.

Compounding the turmoil is the board’s reluctance to provide clear reasoning behind Altman’s dismissal. In a note to employees on Sunday, Shear announced that his immediate priority would be to “hire an independent investigator to examine the entire situation leading to this point and compile a comprehensive report.”