one year on
Sam Altman returns to OpenAI board as law firm review says Altman’s conduct did not mandate removal
WilmerHale investigation says Altman’s firing did not arise from concerns about product safety, security, development pace, finances or statements to investors, customers, or business partners but cites a 'loss of trust' that led to his November firing, as the company adds three new directors and closes the governance crisis.
Sam Altman is officially returning to OpenAI’s board of directors, the company announced today, following the release of a law firm’s investigation into the chaotic November events that saw him fired and then reinstated as CEO within four days. Altman and former board chair Greg Brockman, who resigned in protest, will both rejoin the board. New board members Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Nicole Seligman, and Fidji Simo are also joining, replacing three former directors who departed.
The WilmerHale review, published only as a summary, concluded that the prior board had ‘broad discretion’ to fire Altman but that his conduct ‘did not mandate removal.’ The report stated that the firing arose from a breakdown in trust, not from concerns about product safety, security, development pace, finances, or statements to investors. The summary did not detail the specific cause of the lost trust.
Bret Taylor, now chair of the board, said in a statement: ‘We have unanimously concluded that Sam and Greg are the right leaders for OpenAI.’ The company is presenting the moves as the close of a saga that, in November, triggered an employee revolt and threw the future of the leading AI startup into doubt. The summary stops short of explaining what the ‘loss of trust’ stemmed from.
The record
One year later — open only if you can handle spoilers
The summary-only release fed ongoing debates about OpenAI's governance transparency. All three new directors remained on the board through mid-2026, and the 'loss of trust' cause was never publicly detailed beyond the summary.