Billionaire OpenAI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sam Altman is facing a lawsuit filed by his sister, Ann Altman, alleging that he sexually abused her repeatedly from 1997 to 2006, Reuters reported.
The claims, made in a federal court filing on Monday in St. Louis, have been strongly denied by Altman and other family members.
According to the complaint, Ann Altman claims the abuse occurred at the family’s suburban home in Clayton, Missouri, starting when she was three years old and her brother was 12.
Now 30, Ann Altman alleges the abuse included “numerous acts” of rape, sexual assault, molestation, sodomy, and battery until she turned 11 or 12. She is seeking a minimum of $75,000 in damages, in addition to punitive damages, for alleged harm including post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression.
“All of these claims are utterly untrue,” Sam Altman, 39, stated in a post on X on Tuesday, accompanied by a joint statement from his mother and two brothers.
The family described the situation as “incredibly difficult,” citing challenges in caring for Ann Altman, who they say has refused traditional mental health treatments.
“Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her well-being,” the statement read. “Annie receives monthly financial support, which we expect to continue for the rest of her life. Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us.”
Lawyers representing Ann Altman did not respond immediately to requests for comment on Wednesday regarding the statement and the lawsuit.
Sam Altman is a prominent figure in the tech world, co-founding OpenAI alongside Elon Musk and others.
The launch of the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT in 2022 propelled him to global recognition.
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, was valued at $157 billion as of October 2024 after raising $6.6 billion from investors.
According to Forbes, Mr Altman’s net worth is approximately $1.1 billion.