Ann Altman, sister of OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman, has accused her brother of sexual abuse and filed a lawsuit against him seeking damages. The woman claims that the businessman allegedly harmed her for almost a decade. Altman strongly denies these allegations.
According to the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Missouri, the businessman allegedly abused his sister for almost a decade, from 1997 to 2006.
He allegedly abused his sister for years
Ann Altman, claims that it all started when she was three years old and her brother was 12. The sex crimes took place in their family home in the suburbs of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Over the course of almost ten years, there were “numerous rapes and sexual harassment, as well as physical violence.”
Altman's sister mentioned in the lawsuit that the latest crimes occurred when she was still a minor and her brother was an adult.
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Altman and his family deny it
Altman issued a joint statement with his mother and brothers.
The Altman family argues that the allegations are false and that Anna Altman struggles with mental health problems and “refuses conventional treatment.”
“All of her claims are completely untrue. This entire situation is causing enormous suffering to our entire family,” the statement published on X said.
The statement reads that “Annie”, as they call her, continues to demand money from her family despite regularly receiving financial support.
“We love Annie very much and are very concerned,” the statement read. “Annie receives monthly financial support, which we want to provide for the rest of her life. Despite this, Annie continues to demand more and more money from us,” they emphasize.
Ann Altman seeks compensation
In response to the Altman family's statement, Ann Altman's attorney, Ryan Mahoney, emphasized that “it is not uncommon for parents and other family members to deny that sexual abuse occurred in their family.” “In this case, they are focusing on the wrong family member,” he added.
Mahoney told the Wall Street Journal that there was “no evidence that Ann Altman's mental health condition influenced the substance of her allegations.”
Ann Altman claims her brother has caused her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, which has resulted in significant health care costs. The woman is demanding at least $75,000 in damages from Altman.
Ann Altman first mentioned Sam Altman's abuse in 2021.
The charges were brought under a Missouri law that allows victims who were sexually abused as children to file lawsuits until they are 31 years old. Ann Altman's X profile indicates she turned 31 on Wednesday, two days after filing her lawsuit.
Who is Sam Altman?
Sam Altman is the biggest star of the artificial intelligence technology industry. The 39-year-old investor is the CEO of OpenAI, the company that developed the famous ChatGPT. OpenAI's valuation from October last year was $157 billion.
Sam Altman, 39, is the CEO of OpenAIPAP/EPA
In late 2022, OpenAI launched the generative AI chatbot ChatGPT. The tool has become widely used around the world for its ability to create computer code, email messages, recipes and many other forms of text – as well as images – based on prompts.
In 2024, Altman returned as head of OpenAI, just days after he was fired by the board following a failed board coup attempt.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA