- Sam Altman rapidly reclaimed power at OpenAI with ally Brian Chesky’s help after his surprise firing.
- Interim leader Emmett Shear had probed the decision critically before Altman’s return.
- The drama shows networking aids executives navigate turmoil even amid Silicon Valley competition.
Help from his buddies
When Sam Altman suddenly got axed as OpenAI’s CEO last month, he quickly mobilized support from his Silicon Valley network to reclaim the helm within days.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Airbnb chief Brian Chesky and interim OpenAI leader Emmett Shear helped orchestrate Altman’s rapid reinstatement.
Longtime friends Altman and Chesky spoke shortly after his November 17th firing, with the ousted executive texting “So brutal” and Chesky probing the reasons.
Shear pushed to investigate the removal
Then, when Y Combinator alum Shear briefly took over, the two former startup accelerator affiliates worked to enable Altman’s comeback.
Shear had criticized Altman’s removal as “handled very badly,” vowing in his 2-day CEO stint to investigate the decision.
Though that review never occurred, Shear later said he was “glad to have been part of the solution” in returning his associate to power.
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A testament to backchanneling
The surprise drama illustrates how top execs leverage backchannel networking and relationships when turbulence hits even in cutthroat Silicon Valley.
While the full details around Altman’s short-lived exit remain murky, his rapid about-face comeback had assistance from aligned friends in high places.
