OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed a dramatic Silicon Valley rumor in court during his legal battle with Elon Musk: during his brief ouster by the board in 2023, he considered running for governor of California as a backup plan.
The palace coup that nearly tore OpenAI apart could have reshaped US politics. According to details from the testimony, Altman reflected on his career options at the time. He admitted that in the days after being kicked out, he seriously saw a leap into politics as a viable alternative. It wasn't until the board was forced to restructure that he abandoned that political path and returned to take back control of the company.