Sam Altman’s sister accuses him of sexual assault; OpenAI CEO disputes allegations.

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is making news again, but this time for the wrong reasons. His sister, Ann Altman, has filed a lawsuit alleging that her brother sexually molested her during a nine-year period starting in 1997. The case, filed on Monday in US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, says that the abuse began at the family’s Clayton, Missouri, home when Ann was three years old and Sam was twelve.

According to the lawsuit, the abuse occurred “several times per week”. It further claims that Ann has had “severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and depression” as a result of the alleged abuse, with these effects anticipated to last.

Ann has spoken out against her brother before; she has made similar charges on social media. For example, in November 2021, she wrote on X that she had experienced “sexual, physical, emotional, verbal, financial, and technological abuse” at the hands of her brothers, Sam and Jack Altman. However, this is the first time she has pursued legal action. Ann is represented by Ryan Mahoney, an Illinois-based attorney who specializes in sexual assault and harassment claims, and is seeking a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000, according to the story.

In a joint statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Sam Altman, his mother Connie, and his brothers Jack and Max denied the allegations. “Annie has made deeply hurtful and entirely untrue claims about our family, and especially Sam,” the statement reads. It describes the lawsuit as false and asserts that Annie faces “mental health challenges” while rejecting “conventional treatment.” “This situation causes immense pain to our entire family,” the statement adds.

This isn’t the only legal issue the OpenAI CEO has encountered. In March, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk filed a separate case against Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman, accusing them of breach of contract and fiduciary responsibility. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, resigned the organization’s board in 2018 and has subsequently criticized its shift to a for-profit model.

Musk refiled his complaint in federal court in June, after first suing in San Francisco. OpenAI has rebutted Musk, claiming that in 2017, Musk himself recommended converting the firm to a for-profit structure.