OPENAI IS NOT A STARTUP, LET’S STOP TREATING IT LIKE ONE
A shaky week for OpenAI and its staff, but not on the scale we saw last November when Altman and Brockman left the building only to return. The shake-up started with Mira Murati, OpenAI's Chief Technology Officer, Bob McGrew, OpenAI's Chief Research Officer, and Barret Zoph, Vice President of Research all toddling off with f-you money in pockets for future endeavours.
Mira Murati’s departure was met with a mixture of shock and concern. After six and a half years with the company, Murati cited her decision as a personal choice to create space for exploration and new opportunities. In a letter to OpenAI employees, she expressed deep gratitude for her time at OpenAI and her partnership with Altman and Brockman:
Once the eyes dried, they turned back to the pile of money being thrown at OpenAI’s feet. CFO Sarah Friar confirmed that the company's current funding round was oversubscribed and was set to close next week, a week later than planned. The big news? Apple is out which is iiiiiinteresting indeed - perhaps she’s off to Apple? OpenAI also had a lot more data flying around to calm nerves; +$300M in monthly revenue in August (up 1,700% since early 2023), +350M MAUs in June, and expected ~$3.7B in annual sales in 2024. Still, likely $5B in losses in 2024. Not to worry, there’s plenty of billions to be gobbled up still. Thrive Capital wants to pop in another billion next year. The OpenAI money train is just getting going.
But where exactly is it going and what does all this fresh drama mean?
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