TECH004: Sam Altman & the Rise of OpenAI w/ Seb Bunney

We Study Billionaires - The Investor’s Podcast Network

Stig Brodersen

Education, Investing, Business

4.6 • 3.6K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Seb and Preston analyze the book "Empire of AI," reflecting on Sam Altman’s rise and OpenAI’s transformation from a nonprofit into a powerhouse AI firm. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 00:04 - Why Sam Altman’s early ventures shaped his leadership style 00:09 - How storytelling plays a role in securing AI funding and public trust 00:11 - The founding vision behind OpenAI and Elon Musk’s original role 00:18 - The internal power struggles that led to Altman’s firing and reinstatement 00:20 - The significance of AI governance structures in shaping future technologies 00:28 - How OpenAI evolved from a non-profit to a capped-profit model 00:33 - Why AGI poses ethical and societal challenges 00:39 - The hidden costs and global inequalities in AI model training 01:00 - A sneak peek into longevity research and Lifespan by David Sinclair 01:01 - Why ancestral health might hold keys to understanding aging BOOKS AND RESOURCES Related book: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI. Seb’s Website and book: The Hidden Cost of Money. Next book: Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To. Related⁠⁠ books⁠⁠ mentioned in the podcast. Ad-free episodes on our⁠⁠ Premium Feed⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members. Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bitcoin Fundamentals Starter Packs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance Tool⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get smarter about valuing businesses in just a few minutes each week through our newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sponsors⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Simple Mining Human Rights Foundation Kubera HardBlock LinkedIn Talent Solutions Unchained Vanta Shopify NetSuite Onramp Public.com Abundant Mines Horizon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to TIP.
0:02.7	Hey everyone, welcome to this Wednesday's release of Infinite Tech.
0:06.4	Today, Seb Bunny and I dive into Karen Howe's book, Empire of AI, Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI.
0:14.6	We traced Sam Altman's rise from his early startup and Y Combinator days to the founding of Open AI with Elon Musk, and the company's
0:22.6	transformation from a nonprofit ideal to a Microsoft-backed powerhouse.
0:27.6	Along the way, we unpacked the famous blip, where Sam got fired back in 2023, OpenAIs
0:33.0	complex governance, the broader ethical questions raised by AGI.
0:38.2	And guys, this is surely an episode you won't want to miss.
0:41.2	So without further ado, let's jump right into the book.
0:44.0	You're listening to Infinite Tech by the Investors Podcast Network, hosted by Preston Pish.
0:53.9	We explore Bitcoin, AI, robotics, longevity,
0:57.3	and other exponential technologies through a lens of abundance and sound money. Join us as we connect
1:03.8	the breakthroughs shaping the next decade and beyond, empowering you to harness the future today.
1:09.6	And now, here's your host, Preston Pish.
1:21.4	Hey, everyone, welcome to the show.
1:23.4	I'm here with the one and only, Seb Bunny, and we are talking Open AI, Sam Altman.
1:29.7	What in the world has gone on there at this company?
1:33.3	Where's it going?
1:34.2	Where did it come from?
1:35.5	And we have a book that we read together.
1:38.4	And we'll be using that somewhat as the framework, but also kind of going in other directions beyond just the book.
1:45.8	And Seb, welcome to the show, sir.
	...

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