They're threatening to leave because if Sam doesn't return as CEO, >70% of their compensation in PPU equity (profit participation units) will vanish.
95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
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Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#62Makes you wonder how many other companies would have this level of consensus supporting their CEO
It's apples and oranges. Employees are expressing a preference for making a profit versus the nonprofit board. I'm sort of impressed 5% of the crowd might elevate conscience over cash. No other business has been so insane as to pursue a naked profit objective under the guise of a nonprofit operation. The fact that Altman did so is not a virtue, in my opinion.
If the original statement said that the board had removed him because it disagreed on for profit and Altman refused to change course then that makes a lot of sense and I think many people would at least be OK with their motives, even if it likely harmed OpenAI's progress.
Doesn't look like that is the reason given they are still holding onto Microsoft's $10 billion deal, the rejection/cancellation/notice of termination/notice it would be the last of that would have come along with the firing if this was the motive.
Whatever the real motives are I don't think we have heard them yet, which is a bad sign for them being with cause.
Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
This isn't indicative of a >95% approval rating for Altman, though—once the first 50% of employees sign the letter, the rest might sign due to peer pressure (even if not explicit), or because their favorite coworkers have already signed, or because the new CEO doesn't have a good reputation among workers, or lots of other reasons besides "when last asked if I approved of the CEO in the abstract I said yes".
By the dozens of employee accounts I’ve read in the last 72 hours they all spoke with affection, and I could not find any detractors. A repeated theme was that he always took the time to listen and he cared and went out of his way. I’ve never worked with a CEO I would describe that way. I don’t know how widespread that is among their employees, or whether they’re mostly pissed at the board for destroying their financ…
>I could not find any detractors
It's obvious and I don't mean to imply you aren't aware or even that you're wrong, but if I had the earning potential of an OpenAI employee, I probably wouldn't be looking to publicly shit on anyone that might affect that gravy train.
Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#64Earlier quoted context omitted.
By the dozens of employee accounts I’ve read in the last 72 hours they all spoke with affection, and I could not find any detractors. A repeated theme was that he always took the time to listen and he cared and went out of his way. I’ve never worked with a CEO I would describe that way. I don’t know how widespread that is among their employees, or whether they’re mostly pissed at the board for destroying their financ…
>I could not find any detractors It's obvious and I don't mean to imply you aren't aware or even that you're wrong, but if I had the earning potential of an OpenAI employee, I probably wouldn't be looking to publicly shit on anyone that might affect that gravy train.
I did find a detractor: https://twitter.com/geoffreyirving/status/172675427022402397...
Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#65Reading these comments its like everyone forgot who Sam Altman is, eyeball scanning orb that sells your biometrics for crypto Sam Altman? This guy is a literal fraud and its a shame they didnt get rid of him sooner, good riddance. All the employees and investors too, who knows what the board is really trying to achieve, but if their mission statement is truly the goal then the investors can get bent and Id take the employees up on their offer, let them quit! Easier on the books that way.
Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#66Re: 95% of OpenAI Employees (738/770) Threaten to Follow Sam Altman Out the Door
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just your daily reminder that there is no value without labor. Not quite, but so verging on false. Tons of labor with zero knowledge, design, coordination, and skill can yield near zero or zero value. Likewise, there are cases where comparatively less labor can yield outsized value. The problem isn't labor going out the door. The problem is the knowledge and other factors which go out the door with it. (Something whi…
> Not quite, but so verging on false. Tons of labor with zero knowledge, design, coordination, and skill can yield near zero or zero value. Likewise, there are cases where comparatively less labor can yield outsized value. I don't understand the quip, there's literally no value without labour. Some labour might have outsized value given inputs and costs, some might yield zero or negative value but all value depends o…
there's literally no value without labour
For now.