Right as Sam Altman was at the peak of his success, touring the world to espouse the virtues of AI, his board turned on him. Altman was unceremoniously fired. OpenAI’s coup is a story of secrets, betrayal, employee revolt and Altman’s expert political maneuvering to regain his position of power. In this episode, reporter Ellen Huet also examines Altman’s history of broken promises and alleged manipulation.

Right as Sam Altman was at the peak of his success, touring the world to espouse the virtues of AI, his board turned on him. Altman was unceremoniously fired. OpenAI’s coup is a story of secrets, betrayal, employee revolt and Altman’s expert political maneuvering to regain his position of power. In this episode, reporter Ellen Huet also examines Altman’s history of broken promises and alleged manipulation.

Foundering is an award-winning, serialized podcast from the journalists at Bloomberg Technology. Each season, Foundering brings you inside a different high-stakes drama from the technology industry, where its companies are wielding unprecedented capital and power.

Foundering

OpenAI Part 5: Beware the Ides of November

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/94a0c658-b522-4df8-9f15-b186015ecedf/transcript

Nine days after Bob Lee was found stabbed in San Francisco, police arrested Nima Momeni for his murder. Desperate to squash the ‘Doom Loop’ narrative, San Francisco officials insisted that Bob Lee was killed by someone he knew, a fellow tech executive. But the Cash App founder’s friends and family had never heard of Momeni. Reporter Shawn Wen tells the story of Momeni’s teen years in the East Bay, his minor brushes with the law, and the events that put him on a collision course with Lee. 

Nine days after Bob Lee was found stabbed in San Francisco, police arrested Nima Momeni for his murder. Desperate to squash the &lsquo;Doom Loop&rsquo; narrative, San Francisco officials insisted that Bob Lee was killed by someone he knew, a fellow tech executive. But the Cash App founder&rsquo;s friends and family had never heard of Momeni. Reporter Shawn Wen tells the story of Momeni&rsquo;s teen years in the East Bay, his minor brushes with the law, and the events that put him on a collision course with Lee.&nbsp;

Bob Lee Part 2: The Brother Did It

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6d1145ac-c6f3-4705-a778-b42d0163614a/transcript

Three years ago, Bob Lee, a tech executive famous for creating Cash App, was found stabbed in San Francisco. His killing set off a wave of online fury. Reporter Shawn Wen takes us back to the turbulent days before his killer was arrested, when misinformation and rumors ran rampant. Several tech industry leaders decried violent crime in San Francisco, including David Sacks, who “bet dollars to dimes” that Lee was stabbed by “a psychotic homeless person,” and Elon Musk, who called the city “horrific.” 

Three years ago, Bob Lee, a tech executive famous for creating Cash App, was found stabbed in San Francisco. His killing set off a wave of online fury. Reporter Shawn Wen takes us back to the turbulent days before his killer was arrested, when misinformation and rumors ran rampant. Several tech industry leaders decried violent crime in San Francisco, including David Sacks, who &ldquo;bet dollars to dimes&rdquo; that Lee was stabbed by &ldquo;a psychotic homeless person,&rdquo; and Elon Musk, who called the city &ldquo;horrific.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bob Lee Part 1: San Francisco Has Blood On Its Hands

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8ffe7d5c-c9db-4a46-8c41-b42d01616295/transcript

Three years ago, Bob Lee, a tech executive best known for creating Cash App, was found stabbed in the streets of San Francisco. His killing set off a wave of online fury. Rumors and misinformation ran rampant. Several tech industry leaders weighed in, including David Sacks, who “bet dollars to dimes” that Lee was stabbed by “a psychotic homeless person,” and Elon Musk, who disparaged the district attorney. When Lee’s killer was arrested, it became clear that the truth of what happened could not be further from the initial speculation. 

Three years ago, Bob Lee, a tech executive best known for creating Cash App, was found stabbed in the streets of San Francisco. His killing set off a wave of online fury. Rumors and misinformation ran rampant. Several tech industry leaders weighed in, including David Sacks, who &ldquo;bet dollars to dimes&rdquo; that Lee was stabbed by &ldquo;a psychotic homeless person,&rdquo; and Elon Musk, who disparaged the district attorney. When Lee&rsquo;s killer was arrested, it became clear that the truth of what happened could not be further from the initial speculation.&nbsp;

Foundering: The Killing of Bob Lee (Trailer)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/c4f49bb1-94d9-4b94-81f7-b42b0174acfe/transcript

OpenAI Part 5: Beware the Ides of November

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