OpenAI President Greg Brockman has described the five days in November 2023 after CEO Sam Altman was abruptly fired by the company's board as feeling like a "revolution". In a podcast interview, Brockman detailed the immediate chaos, mass employee protests, and frantic corporate manoeuvring that ensued.
Brockman learned of the board's decision to remove Altman and strip him of his chairman title during a Google Meet call on November 17, 2023. He resigned as president that same day, stating, "For me, I knew in that moment it wasn't right." He and his wife decided immediately to leave the company.
Employee Uprising and Leadership Turmoil
The ousters triggered an instant, "caffeine energy"-fuelled mobilisation by OpenAI employees and investors. The board first appointed Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati as interim CEO, but days later replaced her with former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. Brockman said this second appointment made the company go "wild," with employees streaming out of the office.
Employees cancelled Thanksgiving plans, gathering in Bay Area backyards to strategise. Approximately 95% of OpenAI staff signed a petition demanding the reinstatement of Altman and Brockman; the surge of support was so large it temporarily crashed the Google Doc hosting the list.
Corporate Uncertainty and a Moment of Rejuvenation
Amid the crisis, competing firms attempted to recruit OpenAI's talent, and Altman himself considered starting a new company, with Microsoft expressing investment interest. "Everyone was trying to figure out, 'Is this company somewhere I want to be?'" Brockman recalled.
Despite the uncertainty, Brockman described a sense of rejuvenation. "It was great energy, honestly," he said, noting it was an opportunity to rethink anything about the company. Sam Altman was reinstated as CEO on November 22, following intense pressure from investors and employees.
Lessons Learned and Moving Forward
Reflecting on the episode, Brockman said the key lesson was about handling internal conflict. "I think that one thing we did wrong was that we let conflict brew," he stated, emphasising that festering disagreements cause more pain later.
He defended Altman's character, calling him a "good person" who is "very misunderstood by the world." Brockman added that the company now operates with a "feeling of mortality," understanding that success is not pre-ordained and the biggest obstacle is often internal.