A planned sale of OpenAI employee shares, which would have given the startup a paper valuation of approximately $86 billion, is now uncertain due to the unexpected termination of CEO Sam Altman and several high-level executive departures. The tender offer, led by Thrive Capital, was in its final stages and expected to be completed next month, according to an insider source cited by The Information. OpenAI and Thrive Capital have not yet responded to Reuters' requests for comment. These developments followed the board's dismissal of Altman, the resignation of Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president and co-founder, and left many employees shocked and surprised by the abrupt management changes.

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OpenAI, initially backed by significant funding from Microsoft (which doesn't hold a board seat in the nonprofit governing the startup), gained attention in November with the release of ChatGPT, sparking interest in generative AI technology.

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