Sam Altman was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a Jewish family. He would later grow up in St. Louis, Missouri.

At the age of eight, Altman received his first computer, an Apple Macintosh, and began to learn how to code and take apart computer hardware.

After two years at Stanford University studying computer science, Altman dropped out without earning a bachelor's degree to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

Altman co-founded Loopt, a location-based social networking mobile application, and as CEO, he raised more than $30 million in venture capital for the company.

Loopt was acquired by the Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million after failing to gain significant user traction.

Altman joined Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, initially working part-time. He was named president in 2014 and expanded YC's reach and influence, contributing to the success of numerous startups including Reddit, Stripe, and Airbnb.

Altman co-founded OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research organisation, which he would later lead as CEO starting in 2019.

Altman became the CEO of OpenAI, leading the company through significant advancements, including the development of GPT-3 and DALL-E, and transitioning it from a non-profit to a for-profit entity.

Altman was unexpectedly removed as CEO of OpenAI by the company's board, citing that he was not consistently candid in his communications.

Following an employee revolt and public pressure, OpenAI announced that Altman would return as CEO with a new initial board, including Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo.

Altman married Oliver Mulherin in 2024.

Altman's net worth was estimated at $1.1 billion, reflecting his significant contributions to the technology and investment sectors.