- Sam Altman’s estranged sister, Ann Altman, filed a lawsuit against the OpenAI CEO alleging childhood sexual abuse.
- She had previously accused her brothers of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on social media.
- On Tuesday, the Altman family issued a statement denying the accusations.
Sam Altman’s estranged younger sister, Ann Altman, filed suit against the OpenAI CEO on Monday, accusing him of childhood sexual abuse.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sam Altman posted a statement on social media, signed by his mother, Connie, and younger brothers, Max and Jack, denying the allegations.
In Monday’s complaint, Ann Altman alleges her older brother sexually assaulted her multiple times during the 1990s and 2000s, beginning when she was three years old, resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder and physical injuries.
“At all times relevant herein, Defendant, Sam Altman, groomed and manipulated Plaintiff, Ann Altman, into believing the aforementioned sexual acts were her idea, despite the fact she was under the age of five years old when the sexual abuse began and Defendant was nearly a teenager,” the complaint reads.
In addition to the physical and psychological impacts of the alleged abuse, the suit says Ann Altman has “suffered a loss of enjoyment of a normal life as a consequence of her emotional injuries.”
The complaint seeks unspecified damages in excess of $75,000 in addition to legal fees.
In Sam Altman’s post on Tuesday, he and the family write:
“Our family loves Annie and is very concerned about her well-being. Caring for a family member who faces mental health challenges is very difficult,” the statement reads. “Over the years, we’ve tried in many ways to support Annie and help her find stability, following professional advice on how to be supportive without enabling harmful behaviors.”
The statement indicates the Altman family has offered Ann Altman, who is nine years younger than Sam, monthly financial support and “attempted to get her medical help” in addition to offering to buy her a home through a trust “so that she would have a secure place to live, but not be able to sell it immediately.”
“Despite this, Annie continues to demand more money from us. In this vein, Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, especially Sam,” the statement continues. “We’ve chosen not to respond publicly, out of respect for her privacy and our own. However, she has now taken legal action against Sam, and we feel we have no choice but to address this.”
Ann Altman had previously made her accusations public through posts on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
In November 2021, she posted that she “experienced sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, financial, and technological abuse from my biological siblings, mostly Sam Altman and some from Jack Altman.”
“I feel strongly that others have also been abused by these perpetrators,” Ann Altman wrote in 2021. “I’m seeking people to join me in pursuing legal justice, safety for others in the future, and group healing. Please message me with any information, you can remain however anonymous you feel safe.”
A 2023 profile about Sam Altman in The Intelligencer, a New York Magazine publication, highlighted the tense relationship between the Altman siblings, including Sam’s estrangement from Ann, but did not detail the abuse allegations.
I experienced sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, financial, and technological abuse from my biological siblings, mostly Sam Altman and some from Jack Altman.
(2/3)
— Annie Altman (@anniealtman108) November 14, 2021
The Altman family statement denies the allegations against Sam Altman and other members of the Altman family, reading: “All of these claims are entirely untrue. This situation causes immense pain to our entire family. It is especially gut-wrenching when she refuses conventional treatment and lashes out at family members who are genuinely trying to help.”
A lawyer for Annie Altman said the denials were expected.
“By this lawsuit, Annie is seeking what every survivor of sexual abuse wants – justice and accountability,” said Ryan J. Mahoney.
Representatives for OpenAI did not immediately respond a to request for comment from Business Insider.
