Sam Altman Bloomberg
Bloomberg estimates OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's net worth at around $2 billion. Photo: Bloomberg

According to OpenAI’s tax filings, Sam Altman’s 2023 compensation is a 3.4% increase from 2022, when he received $73,546. By comparison, the median household income in San Francisco County—where Altman owns a $27 million mansion—is $126,730, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The median American salary last year was about $66,621.

Altman has spoken about his modest salary for his contributions to OpenAI. In his May 2023 congressional testimony, he said he was paid full health insurance and had no equity in OpenAI.

That salary, however, does not reflect Altman’s entire fortune. In March, Bloomberg estimated the OpenAI CEO’s net worth at least $2 billion, not including his possible stake in the company. He has invested $1.2 billion in various venture capital funds, among other investments.

According to OpenAI's tax filings, co-founder Ilya Sutskever and secretary/treasurer Chris Clark were the highest paid, earning $347,354 and $322,201, respectively. Both left the startup in May.

Earlier this year, ChatGPT’s developer raised $6.6 billion, valuing it at $157 billion. In that round, Altman reportedly received a 7% stake in OpenAI if the company restructured to become a for-profit.

Bloomberg said the shares would make him an additional $10 billion. However, the head of OpenAI denied the information in a staff meeting.

(According to Insider)