OpenAI never clawed back any employee's vested equity

New Delhi: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Sunday clarified that the company has never clawed back any employee's vested equity and will never do such a thing in the future. Altman responded to a media report that claimed that the ChatGPT maker revoked employees' vested equity (or stock option) in the company, following two high-profile departures.

Altman said that they will never do this "if people do not sign a separation agreement (or don't agree to a non-disparagement agreement)".

"Vested equity is vested equity, full stop," he posted on X social media platform.

According to him, there was a provision about potential equity cancellation in the company’s previous exit documents. "Although we never clawed anything back, it should never have been something we had in any documents or communication. This is on me and one of the few times I've been genuinely embarrassed running OpenAI. I did not know this was happening and I should have," he explained.