OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman denied his sister’s claims that he sexually abused her for almost a decade and sued her for defamation.
In a court filing on Friday, lawyers for Sam Altman said that his sister Ann Altman’s “false statements” had tarnished his reputation and caused emotional pain. His attorneys also claimed Ann Altman sued him “for the improper purpose of pressuring him to accede to her demands for unrestricted financial support.”
In January, Ann Altman alleged that Sam Altman abused and manipulated her while they were growing up in Missouri in the late 1990s to early 2000s. She claimed the abuse began when she was 3 years old and the last instance allegedly occurred when he was an adult but she was still a minor.
At the time, Sam Altman posted a statement on behalf of himself, his mother and brothers, calling the claims “utterly untrue.”
Ryan Mahoney, Ann Altman’s attorney, said “Sam Altman’s counterclaims are as predictable as they are unfortunate.”
Her “filings tell the real story and we look forward to seeking justice on her behalf,” Mahoney said in an email.
The case is Altman v. Altman, 25-cv-00017, US District Court, Eastern District of Missouri (St. Louis).