Sam Altman has rejected his sister Annie Altman’s accusations, calling them completely false.
Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO and a leading figure in artificial intelligence, is facing allegations of childhood sexual abuse from his sister. Altman denies these claims, asserting his sister is motivated by financial gain.
Annie Altman filed a lawsuit on Monday in a Missouri US District Court, alleging sexual abuse starting at age three, with Sam being twelve at the time, according to CNBC and BBC reports. The alleged abuse included rape.
The lawsuit claims this caused the plaintiff “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression,” and seeks a trial and damages exceeding $75,000.
Sam Altman and his family have strongly refuted the allegations. A joint statement from Sam, his mother Connie, and brothers Jack and Max, declared the allegations, dating back to at least 2021, are “deeply hurtful and entirely untrue.”
“We chose not to respond publicly, to respect her privacy and our own. However, she has now initiated legal action against Sam, and we feel compelled to respond,” the statement explained.
The statement described Annie as facing “mental health challenges” and “refusing conventional treatment, and lashing out at family members trying to help.” The Altman family provided Annie with significant financial assistance and “attempted to secure her medical care, and offered to buy her a house through a trust.”
“Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us,” the statement noted, with Sam Altman later stating, based on his sister’s lawyer’s letter, that the lawsuit’s primary objective seems to be financial compensation.
Sam Altman is best known as the CEO of OpenAI, the creator of the ChatGPT AI chatbot. As of 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.1 billion.
In a March Medium article, Annie Altman stated she received no financial support for years, struggling financially while dealing with an ovarian condition. She also mentioned briefly working in “escorting” and online sex work.