OpenAI’s Sam Altman could get 7% stake as start-up discusses shift to for-profit model

OpenAI is discussing giving chief executive officer Sam Altman a 7 per cent equity stake in the company and restructuring to become a for-profit business, people familiar with the matter said, a major shift that would mark the first time Altman is granted ownership in the artificial intelligence (AI) start-up.

The company is considering becoming a public benefit corporation, tasked with turning a profit and also helping society, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The transition is still under discussion and a timeline has not been determined, one of the people said.

In a statement, a spokesperson said OpenAI remains “focused on building AI that benefits everyone”, adding, “the non-profit [nature] is core to our mission and will continue to exist”.