To me, it really sounds like Microsoft wanted to poach him. While the board were the ones that originally fired him, I don't think that would have happened without Microsoft.
Sam Altman is joining Microsoft, the tech-giant has announced, ending speculation he might return to OpenAI just 48 hours after his chaotic ousting.
He is considered one of the most influential figures in the fast-growing generative artificial intelligence (AI) space, and his sacking sent shockwaves across the industry.
It sparked an outpouring of support from Silicon Valley bosses, including former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt who called Mr Altman "a hero of mine" and said that he had "changed our collective world forever".
On Friday, when OpenAI announced it was firing Mr Altman, it accused him of not being "consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities".
On Sunday evening, the board said it "firmly stands by its decision as the only path to advance and defend the mission of OpenAI," according to an internal memo, seen by The New York Times.
Mr Altman testified before a US Congressional hearing to discuss the opportunities and risks created by the new technology and also appeared at the world's first AI Safety Summit in the UK at the beginning of November.
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