Judge Dismisses Sam Altman Sexual Abuse Lawsuit, But Sister Can Refile - EconoTimes
A judge dismissed a lawsuit against Sam Altman due to statutes of limitations, but his sister can refile and he may pursue a defamation counterclaim.Summary
A federal judge dismissed Annie Altman’s sexual abuse lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, citing the expiration of the statute of limitations for the initial claims under Missouri law. Judge Zachary Bluestone ruled that claims of sexual assault and battery, dating back to incidents between 1997 and 2006, were no longer viable as they expired in 2008. However, the judge allowed Annie Altman the opportunity to refile the lawsuit under Missouri’s Childhood Sexual Abuse statute.
In a related development, the judge permitted Sam Altman to file a defamation counterclaim against his sister. This stems from social media posts made by Annie Altman between 2021 and 2024 on platforms like X and TikTok, where she alluded to abuse by “older siblings” and an “almost tech billionaire.” The court determined these posts could be construed as referencing Sam Altman, potentially constituting defamation if he can prove actual malice.
Sam Altman, currently valued at $3.4 billion by Forbes, denies the allegations. His family attributes the lawsuit to Annie Altman’s mental health struggles and claims it is an extortion attempt, stating they provide her with financial support. Annie Altman’s legal team intends to file an amended complaint, while Sam Altman continues his work at OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
(Source：Econotimes)