ChatGPT creator Sam Altman’s sister, Ann Altman, filed a lawsuit alleging that he regularly sexually abused her between 1997 and 2006.
The lawsuit, which was filed Jan. 6 in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges the abuse began when she was three years old and Altman was 12.
Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company behind artificial intelligence (AI) software ChatGPT, denied the claims. in a joint statement about X with his mother and two brothers.
“All of these claims are completely false,” the statement said. “Caring for a family member dealing with mental health issues is incredibly difficult,” she added.
Warning: This story contains details that some may find distressing.
Altman said he provides monthly financial support to his sister, paying her bills and rent and offering to buy her a house, but that she “continues to demand more money from us.”
But Altman claims her brother “groomed and manipulated” her and performed sexual acts on her for several years, including “rape, sexual assault, abuse, sodomy and assault,” according to a court file seen by the BBC.
Altman said he suffered “great bodily injuries,” severe emotional distress and depression.
He added that he had incurred numerous medical bills due to medical and mental health treatment for his injuries.
In the United Kingdom, victims or alleged victims of sexual crimes have the right to anonymity for life. The UK legislation creating this right does not apply to persons in the US.
“Over the years, we have tried in many ways to support Annie and help her find stability,” Altman said, adding that she had received “professional advice” on how to “be supportive” without “enabling harmful behavior.”
“This situation causes immense pain to our entire family,” the statement added.
The lawsuit adds that the last instance of the alleged abuse took place when Altman was an adult and she was still a minor.
Altman had previously made similar accusations against his brother on social media platforms such as X.
Billionaire Altman, who married his partner Oliver Mulherin in 2024, is one of the most prominent figures in the world of technology.
In late 2022, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT generative AI chatbot. It has become widely used worldwide for its ability to create computer code, emails, recipes, and many other forms of text, as well as images, based on prompts.
In 2024, Altman returned as head of OpenAI a few days after the board fired himsurviving an attempted boardroom coup.
Additional reporting by Lily Jamali and Faarea Masud
If you have been affected by the issues in this story, help and support is available through BBC action line.
