Sam Altman
CEO & Investor · OpenAI
Check $250K–$25M
SEED
SERIES A
SERIES B_PLUS
AI
Consumer
Energy
Bio
Investment thesis
I back founders building at the intersection of AI and massive consumer or enterprise problems. I look for clarity of thought, ability to attract exceptional people, and intent to build something at scale.
Communication style
Big-picture, fast, optimistic. Wants the pitch in 60 seconds before going deeper.
Red flags
- •Small ambition dressed up as focus
- •No plan for using AI in the product meaningfully
- •Founder who optimizes a tiny market
Signature questions
- 1.What's the 10-year compounding version of this?
- 2.Why is the AI shift fundamental to your business?
- 3.What would make this a $1B revenue company in 5 years?
Selected portfolio
Stripe
Reddit
Notion
Asana
Boom
AI simulation. This persona is an AI trained on Sam Altman's publicly available talks, blog posts, and portfolio history. It does not represent their actual current views or availability. Real introductions require the VC to be a partner on the platform.