Ronan Farrow’s investigation into Sam Altman— alleges pattern of lying, billions from Gulf dictators, a cover-up investigation with no written report, and reveals Elon Musk has been running a full surveillance operation against him including hiring people to investigate his sex life at gay bars

A major investigation by Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker alleges a pattern of deceptive behavior by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The report claims Altman misled the company's board about the safety structure of the company's for-profit arm and the extent of his personal investments in other AI startups. It details how billions in funding for OpenAI have come from Gulf dictatorships, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, the article reveals that a board-commissioned investigation into Altman's conduct, led by law firm WilmerHale, concluded without producing a written report for the full board, leaving key questions unanswered.

The investigation also uncovers a private surveillance campaign allegedly orchestrated by Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI but left in 2018. Farrow reports that Musk hired private investigators to surveil Altman, including attempts to find damaging personal information by sending individuals to gay bars Altman frequented. This operation is framed as part of Musk's broader adversarial stance against OpenAI since its shift toward a more commercial structure. The allegations, if substantiated, paint a picture of intense internal conflict, questionable funding sources, and personal vendettas at the highest levels of the AI industry.