US judge dismisses sexual abuse lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

US District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed a lawsuit on Tuesday that was brought by Ann Altman against her brother, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman. The Verge and Engadget both reported that the lawsuit accused Sam Altman of sexually abusing his sister during their childhood. The judge dismissed the case with prejudice, which prevents it from being filed again in court. [1][2]

The dismissal was based on procedural failures rather than the legal merits of the claims. The Verge and Engadget both reported that Judge Bluestone dismissed the case because Ann Altman refused to appear for an independent medical examination. She also missed other court deadlines despite warnings that noncompliance would lead to the dismissal of her case. [1][2]

Ann Altman filed the lawsuit in January 2025, according to Engadget. She alleged that the abuse occurred at the family home in Missouri between 1997 and later years. When the lawsuit was filed, a joint statement issued by Sam Altman, his mother, and his brothers denied the allegations, calling them hurtful and untrue. [1][2]

Sam Altman has served as the chief executive officer of the artificial intelligence company OpenAI since 2019. Under his leadership, the organization developed major artificial intelligence platforms, including ChatGPT, GPT-3, and DALL-E. [8][10]