S8 Ep922: In AI Valley, Gary Rivlin explains how OpenAI transitioned from a $10 million nonprofit endeavor to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The immense cost of specialized chips and million-dollar salaries for machine learning talent rendered the original nonp episode artwork

EPISODE · May 25, 2026 · 6 MIN

S8 Ep922: In AI Valley, Gary Rivlin explains how OpenAI transitioned from a $10 million nonprofit endeavor to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The immense cost of specialized chips and million-dollar salaries for machine learning talent rendered the original nonp

from The John Batchelor Show · host John Batchelor

In AI Valley, Gary Rivlin explains how OpenAI transitioned from a $10 million nonprofit endeavor to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The immense cost of specialized chips and million-dollar salaries for machine learning talent rendered the original nonprofit model unsustainable. Consequently, Altman orchestrated a "for-profit subsidiary" to attract massive capital, notably from Microsoft, which invested $1 billion in 2019 and later an additional $10 billion. Rivlincharacterizes Altman as a charming and brilliant strategist who now prioritizes winning the global AI race over the company's original safety mission. This shift underscores the intense competition to become the next trillion-dollar company in the AI sector. (2/8)1903 SANTA BARBARA

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S8 Ep922: In AI Valley, Gary Rivlin explains how OpenAI transitioned from a $10 million nonprofit endeavor to a multi-billion dollar enterprise. The immense cost of specialized chips and million-dollar salaries for machine learning talent rendered the original nonp

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