Sam Altman, reject his sister's claim of sexual abuse spanning her childhood

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, has rejected the allegations made by his sister in a lawsuit filed this week, which accuses him of sexual abuse spanning nearly a decade. The complaint, lodged with the federal court in Missouri, asserts that the alleged sexual assault and battery transpired between 1997 and 2006. Ann Altman, his sister, claims that the abuse started when she was three and Sam was 12, at their family house in suburban St. Louis, Missouri.

The lawsuit describes the abuse as involving "numerous incidents of rape, sexual assault, molestation, sodomy, and battery." Ann Altman also asserts that the abuse persisted into her adult years, with the last occurrences occurring while she was still a child.

In reply, Sam Altman, his mother, and brothers issued a statement disputing the allegations, describing them as unsubstantiated. They claimed that Ann Altman has struggled with mental health problems and has rejected conventional treatment. The statement, shared on X, expressed the family's sorrow over the incident.

"Our love for Annie runs deep, and we are extremely concerned about her welfare. She receives ongoing financial support from us, which we intend to continue, yet she continues to ask for additional funds," Sam Altman remarked.

In response, Ann Altman’s legal representative, Ryan Mahoney, explained that it is usual for family members to dispute such accusations and emphasized that mental health problems were unrelated to the allegations. "There is no indication that her mental health has contributed to her claims," Mahoney informed the Wall Street Journal.

At 30 years old, Ann Altman contends that the abuse has resulted in PTSD, emotional hardship, depression, and substantial medical expenses. She is demanding at least $75,000 in damages. She had previously posted similar claims on her X account starting in 2021.

Under Missouri's law, which gives victims of child sexual abuse the right to file suit until their 31st birthday, the lawsuit was submitted. Ann Altman’s X profile shows she turned 31 just two days after the case was filed.

At 39 years old, Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, the company that reshaped the field of artificial intelligence with its ChatGPT bot. OpenAI, which receives backing from Microsoft, was valued at $157 billion in October.