Sam Altman Joins a Pretty Exclusive Club

There's a new billionaire in town. Sam Altman, the 38-year-old CEO of the company that created ChatGPT, is now worth at least $1 billion, according to Forbes, putting him at No. 2,747 on the magazine's list of the world's richest people. Though Altman has no equity in OpenAI, valued at $80 billion, his startup bets in Reddit, technology startup accelerator Y Combinator, payment company Stripe, longevity startup Retro Biosciences, and fusion power company Helion helped push his wealth into 10 figures, per Forbes. "Sam is rare in that he's a capable investor, but he's also making bold bets," OpenAI board director and LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman tells the outlet. He isn't scared of "potential big public failures."

Forbes based its wealth estimate on regulatory filings and interviews with people with knowledge of Altman's investments. But it notes "Altman maintains a maze of holdings that are not well understood." It also refers to the CEO's "personal collection of technological artifacts," reportedly "including jet engines and Bronze Age swords," which could not be appraised. The tally does include what the AFP describes as "prime" real estate in California and Hawaii. Reportedly included: a $43 million mansion in Hawaii, a $27 million property in San Francisco, and a ranch in Napa. (More Sam Altman stories.)