- Sam Altman has invested in more than 400 companies, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- Some firms reportedly backed by Altman do business with OpenAI, raising questions about conflicts.
Sam Altman and his venture funds have reportedly invested in more than 400 companies.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Altman was one of Silicon Valley's most prolific individual investors, with holdings worth at least $2.8 billion as of early this year.
The CEO does not own a stake in OpenAI, which has been valued at $86 billion. He reportedly earns an annual salary of about $65,000. His net worth, however, crossed the $2 billion mark this year, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Most of his net worth comes from his sprawling investment portfolio, which includes major companies such as Reddit and Stripe.
The Journal reported that Altman has also drawn on a debt line from his longtime personal bank, JPMorgan, which has allowed him to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in private startups.
The Journal said that several startups Altman has poured money into also do business with OpenAI, raising questions about potential conflicts for the AI company's CEO.
In a recent example, after Reddit announced a partnership with OpenAI, the company's stock soared by more than 10%, which boosted Altman's personal stake by $69 million.
In a blog post about the partnership, OpenAI said the deal was led by the company's chief operating officer and approved by its independent board of directors.
Representatives for Altman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider made outside normal working hours.
When contacted by The Journal, a spokesperson for Altman declined to comment on any potential conflicts of interest between OpenAI and his personal investments.
Bret Taylor, the chairman of OpenAI's board, told the outlet Altman had "consistently followed policies and been transparent about his investments."
"Sam is fully focused on his role as CEO. We carefully manage any potential conflicts and always put OpenAI and our mission first," Taylor said.
Helen Toner, a former OpenAI board member who helped drive Altman's brief ouster from the company last November, recently said the CEO withheld information and misrepresented the company's activities.
In an episode of the "The TED AI Show" podcast, Toner said Altman did not tell the board he previously owned the OpenAI startup fund.
Taylor said in a statement to the podcast at the time, "We are disappointed that Ms. Toner continues to revisit these issues."
Reuters reported that in a March filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, OpenAI had changed the governance structure of its venture-capital fund so that Altman no longer controlled it.