From Vox Media: 2024-05-22 18:00:01

Employees at OpenAI faced pressure to sign restrictive exit documents that threatened the loss of their vested equity worth millions. CEO Sam Altman apologized for the policy and vowed not to take back vested equity. Documents show that company leadership was aware of these provisions but failed to disclose them properly, raising concerns about trust and transparency at OpenAI.

Ex-employees were given only seven days to sign non-disparagement agreements or risk losing their equity. Those who sought legal counsel faced additional pressure from OpenAI, which threatened to block them from selling equity if they did not sign the documents. This practice of forcing former employees to sign restrictive agreements raises questions about the company’s treatment of its workforce.

Equity at OpenAI is more complex than in publicly traded companies, as employees must wait for opportunities to sell their shares. Failure to sign the restrictive exit documents could exclude employees from participating in future liquidity events, forcing them to choose between financial gain and freedom of speech. OpenAI’s handling of equity and exit documents paints a troubling picture of the company’s treatment of its employees.



Read more at Vox Media: OpenAI NDAs: Leaked documents reveal aggressive tactics toward former employees