Satya Nadella's poker moves may have saved Microsoft from the OpenAI debacle
Microsoft, which owns 49% of OpenAI, was "blindsided" by Sam Altman's sacking. But the deft moves of CEO Satya Nadella may turned a negative into a very lucrative positive.
When news first broke that OpenAI's board had unceremoniously fired CEO Sam Altman on Friday, it appeared Microsoft was in a difficult spot. The tech giant owns 49% of OpenAI, and CEO Satya Nadella was reportedly "blindsided" by the move.
Yet in a testament to the frenetic plot twists that have taken place in the days since, Microsoft may emerge from the debacle as its biggest winner.
After failing to reach an agreement with OpenAI's board to return as CEO, Altman is headed to Microsoft to head a new AI research division. But it's not the high-profile MVP signing that matters so much as the team that accompanies him. Up to 700 of OpenAI's 770 staff have threatened to jump ship, according to Bloomberg, unless the board resigns.
That suggests the saga is not over. If OpenAI's new leadership, which will soon include interim CEO Emmett Shear, cannot expeditiously win over staff, a mutiny may bring Altman back to captain the ship. Yet even if Altman's time at Microsoft is a brief stop off, that is far better for Microsoft than Altman, the face of AI, joining Google, Amazon or starting his own venture, as was reportedly on the cards.
