Sam Altman

Sam Altman is a prominent American entrepreneur and investor, best known for co-founding Loopt, a location-based social networking app, in 2005 when he was just 19 years old. Altman dropped out of Stanford University to pursue this venture, which raised over $30 million in venture capital but was eventually acquired by Green Dot Corporation in 2012 for $43.4 million after failing to achieve significant user traction.132

Following his time at Loopt, Altman became a partner at Y Combinator, a well-known startup accelerator, in 2011. He served as its president from 2014 to 2019, during which he significantly expanded the organization's influence and scope, overseeing investments in successful companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe. His leadership helped Y Combinator evolve into a major force in the startup ecosystem, funding thousands of new companies each year.23

In addition to his work at Y Combinator, Altman is also known for his role as co-chair of OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organization he helped establish in 2015. OpenAI aims to develop AI technologies that benefit humanity, and under Altman's guidance, it has become a leading entity in the AI field.132

Altman's career reflects a blend of technological innovation, investment acumen, and a commitment to leveraging technology for broader societal benefits, making him a key figure in the tech industry today.