Emmett Shear, who ran OpenAI for 72 hours before Sam Altman's return was confirmed, says he's 'deeply pleased' about the news
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- Emmett Shear was CEO of OpenAI for 72 hours before Sam Altman's return was announced.
- Bloomberg reported that Shear had participated in talks between the OpenAI board and Altman.
- On Wednesday, Shear said he was "deeply pleased" with Altman's return.
Emmett Shear, who became OpenAI's interim CEO on Sunday, will stand aside when Sam Altman returns to the role he was ousted from.
The company announced Altman's return in a Wednesday post on X, less than a week after its board ousted him.
"We are collaborating to figure out the details," OpenAI said.
Shear confirmed his predecessor's return in a follow-up tweet, saying he was "deeply pleased" with the outcome.
"Coming into OpenAI, I wasn't sure what the right path would be," he wrote. "This was the pathway that maximized safety alongside doing right by all stakeholders involved."
By his own estimate, Shear had worked 72 hours at OpenAI, which he said was "intense."
Shear, who ran Twitch until stepping down in March, was tapped to lead OpenAI midway through its week of tumult.
He'd joined the company as employees staged a full-on revolt and threatened to quit if Altman was not reinstated.
Customers wanted to leave, and Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest investor, swooped into negotiations. Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella previously said he hadn't been told anything about the reason for Altman's dismissal.
Shear apparently didn't know the reason either, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed sources.
While Shear did post on X on Sunday that he'd asked the board for their reasoning behind Altman's dismissal, The Verge reported that he'd been unable to obtain written documentation of their explanation.
He planned to leave if the board didn't give him that written answer, Bloomberg reported.
But regardless of whether his request was granted, Shear is set to depart the CEO role.
As interim leader, he represented the OpenAI board in talks with a representative for Altman, Bloomberg reported. Bret Taylor, who was formerly co-CEO of Salesforce, served as a mediator, per the outlet.
Shear indicated that those discussions led to Altman's return.
"I'm glad to have been a part of the solution," he posted.
With Altman back, a new board has been established, OpenAI said, with Taylor and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers as members.
Adam D'Angelo, who was a member of the original board that fired Altman, is staying on.
It's unclear if Shear will remain at OpenAI in any capacity. He'd originally stepped down from Twitch in March to focus on his newborn son.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, sent outside regular business hours.