A new legal deposition has shed light on the dramatic ouster of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in November 2023, revealing deep internal conflicts and allegations of deception, manipulation, and a toxic leadership style. Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and former chief scientist, testified for nearly 10 hours in a deposition tied to Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI, providing a detailed account of his growing concerns. Sutskever said he had seen a pattern of behavior in Altman that included lying, undermining executives, and pitting key leaders against one another. He described Altman as inconsistent in his communications, often giving different messages to different people to serve his own interests. According to Sutskever, Altman told him and other top executives, including Jakub Pachocki, conflicting stories about the company’s direction, which created division and eroded trust. Sutskever also revealed that he compiled a 52-page memo based on personal observations and documents, including screenshots of messages, to present to the board. He did not send it to Altman, fearing he would “find a way to make them disappear.” The memo, which he said was sent to board members Adam D’Angelo, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley, detailed concerns about Altman’s leadership, including his alleged role in creating a chaotic work environment. Sutskever had been considering removing Altman for at least a year before the event. The testimony also touched on a brief, unpublicized merger discussion between OpenAI and Anthropic, the company co-founded by Dario and Daniela Amodei, who had left OpenAI amid tensions. Sutskever recalled that Anthropic expressed interest in a merger during the chaos following Altman’s removal, but the talks ended quickly due to practical challenges. Dario and Daniela were on the call, and the idea was short-lived. Sutskever’s account aligns with previous public statements from former board member Helen Toner, who in May 2024 said Altman had systematically withheld information, including not disclosing his ownership of the OpenAI startup fund and misrepresenting the company’s safety protocols. She said the board only learned about the release of ChatGPT through social media. Toner and other board members concluded that they could no longer trust Altman, making it impossible to fulfill their oversight role. The fallout from the ouster reshaped OpenAI’s leadership. Sutskever left the company six months after the incident to launch Safe Superintelligence, while Mira Murati departed shortly afterward to found Thinking Machines Lab. Other senior executives, including Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph, also left around the same time. In his deposition, Sutskever said he hadn’t spoken to Altman in 10 to 12 months or to Greg Brockman in about 15 months. He acknowledged he still holds a financial stake in OpenAI and believes its value has grown since his departure. OpenAI responded to the testimony by reaffirming its confidence in Altman and Brockman. In a statement, spokesperson Liz Bourgeois said the events of 2023 were “behind us” and that an independent board review had unanimously concluded that Altman and Brockman were the right leaders for the company. While the deposition raises serious questions about Altman’s leadership style and transparency, many details remain redacted or unclear. As the legal battle continues, more testimony is expected, offering further insight into one of the most turbulent chapters in modern tech history.