Nine years ago, in 2015, just a week after he turned 30, Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, shared a blog post, imparting his wisdom on various aspects of life, including work, money, relationships, and personal growth.
What Happened: Altman’s post dated April 29, 2015, the year OpenAI was established, divulged 36 pieces of life advice. His counsel spans from prioritizing loved ones and optimizing time to excelling at work and managing finances.
Altman underscores the significance of pursuing what brings joy and satisfaction, stating, “Life is not a dress rehearsal—this is probably it. Make it count.”
He also guides on achieving success, which involves choosing the right path, maintaining focus and self-belief, building personal connections, recognizing talented individuals, and hard work.
Regarding work, Altman believes that it’s challenging to excel in a job one is not passionate about. He advocates for hard work, organization, and taking career risks.
He also shares his perspective on money, asserting that while it may not guarantee happiness, it can provide freedom, which is significant.
“Lack of money is very stressful. In almost all ways, having enough money so that you don't stress about paying rent does more to change your well-being than having enough money to buy your own jet,” he stated.
Altman’s advice also encompasses personal growth and relationships. He encourages people to communicate more, read lengthy content, watch less TV, and limit internet usage.
The OpenAI CEO also urges people to make an effort to be around intelligent, interesting, ambitious individuals.
“Don't screw people and don't burn bridges. Pick your battles carefully,” he suggested, adding, “Forgive people,” and “Don't chase status.”
Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Altman’s life advice is a reflection of his own journey. In March 2024, it was reported that much of Altman’s estimated $2 billion net worth doesn’t come from AI, the sector he is a prominent figure in.
Instead, Altman made his fortune by investing in startups, acquiring stakes in around 125 early-stage companies.
Previously, the OpenAI CEO also gave his take on work-life balance in the twenties and career growth. In a 2016 interview with his brother Jack Altman, he said, “I do think you want to work harder than most people think you should and I think that if you do that you tend to benefit from it later.”
Meanwhile, last month, it was reported that Apple Inc. is in discussions to take a stake in OpenAI as part of a new fundraising round that could value ChatGPT-parent at over $100 billion.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
