Coach Jose Mourinho. Sam Altman of OpenAI. These men have one thing in common: they have rings or have great business records – and the world likes people with rings, in sports or in business.
The football world continues to recycle and re-appoint Jose. Why? People with prior great results will continue to be used despite the abundance of new people looking for opportunities.
Just like in football, business is about winning. Records, records and records, build careers. Sam Altman co-pioneered a business category through OpenAI ChatGPT and that is a huge record. Because of his record, he is returning back, after the paralysis, because you cannot afford to lose a man or a woman with great rings: ‘Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as CEO, capping days of drama and negotiations that “transfixed Silicon Valley and the global AI industry”’. Yes, it is statistically better using someone who has won a ring than trying to discover a new person who can win one, especially in a fledgling sector like generative AI. Even Real Madrid, the most successful football club operates on that business playbook: discover the best and proven footballers, and bring them to Spain.
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That was why I wrote when I read that they have fired him, not because of misuse of funds or anything illegal, but his “communication” style with the Board: “Today, Sam is considered the best in this game and changing him because of the feelings of some board members will be own-goals. I do think he will return because it would be pure stupidity for investors like Microsoft to allow this mess to stand.” And he has returned.
People, do all to put some great records on your resume! You just have to win once and that will do. They will never leave you alone because if you have won in the past, they will still believe you will win in the future.
After all, in the Igbo Nation, it takes the killing of one leopard to be called a killer of leopards. Sam Altman has his leopards and will have more opportunities to go for more.
Sam Altman is returning to OpenAI as CEO, capping days of drama and negotiations that “transfixed Silicon Valley and the global AI industry,” said Bloomberg. After suddenly being fired Friday, a “major sticking point” during weekend discussions with Altman was said to be the company’s board, which OpenAI is now overhauling and will initially be led by former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor. Altman will not join the board at present, but may do so later, anonymous sources tell Bloomberg. Altman’s ousting sent shockwaves across the industry, with Microsoft, an investor of OpenAI, announcing Sunday that it would subsequently hire him.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Wednesday that LinkedIn’s parent company was “encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board.” More than 700 of OpenAI’s 770 employees had signed a letter threatening to resign if Altman wasn’t reinstated. Here’s how the OpenAI saga has reshaped the startup world and artificial intelligence ecosystem.
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It started like a dining table poker game, then Satya appeared and took it straight to World Series, leaving everyone to be scratching their heads. By Friday afternoon Microsoft stock was rattled, then came Satya’s unparalleled coup execution, recovering more than what was lost by Monday morning. In all of these dramas, nobody signed any employment documents, just announcements. I give it to Satya, he secured the bag quickly, directing the orchestra afterwards; he’s the smartest in the business.
What exactly do we call this? Sam’s legend is now touching the sky, just for being in the middle of a drama he never instigated, but now coming back stronger. This is beyond bonkers!
What did we just experience in the last five days, a movie thriller or real-time corporate drama? Nobody could have produced such script as at last Thursday, but here we are, trying to reset to normalcy, over what shouldn’t have started in the first place.
When you are big, you are big, and Sam has officially joined the big boys; the ultimate untouchables.
We lived through it all, so we know those to take seriously next time announcements of this nature hit our feeds.
Well played guys, you got the rest of us.