OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s olive oil blunder mirrors company losses

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently showcased unusual kitchen habits by using premium olive oil inefficiently. In a “Lunch with the FT” segment, he cooked with Graza olive oil’s expensive “drizzle” variety for sautéing instead of the intended “sizzle” oil.

This choice attracted humorous attention as it contrasts with proper culinary use. The incident has been linked metaphorically to OpenAI’s financial management challenges.

Altman’s Kitchen Mix-up

During the Lunch with the FT segment, Altman prepared a meal using two distinct Graza olive oils. The company offers “sizzle” for cooking and the pricier “drizzle” for finishing dishes.

Altman used the “drizzle” olive oil in a sauté pan, despite the “sizzle” oil being nearby. This misuse of the finishing oil is considered an “offense to horticulture” by culinary standards.

Significance and Context

This kitchen choice has been humorously compared to OpenAI’s financial practices. The company raised a record-setting $40 billion in a recent funding round. Despite this, reports indicate a loss of about $5 billion last year.

OpenAI has struggled to turn a profit with high operational costs and losses on paid plans.

Such inefficiency in resource use in cooking humorously parallels challenges in managing large investments. The analogy suggests wastefulness concerns within OpenAI’s business model.

How the Story Unfolded

The Financial Times observed Altman’s olive oil use during a visit to his kitchen. The CEO prepared garlic pasta and salad using the wrong olive oil. Graza’s packaging clearly marks the “sizzle” and “drizzle” variants for different culinary purposes.

Altman’s selection of the “drizzle” oil for sautéing instead of finishing is akin to misusing expensive ingredients. The paper dubbed this a “fundamental misunderstanding” of olive oil use despite physical proximity of the proper bottle.

• Graza olive oil comes in two types: “sizzle” for cooking, “drizzle” for finishing.
• Altman chose the pricier “drizzle” oil for cooking, wasting its intended use.
• The incident reflects broader operational inefficiencies.
• OpenAI’s financial struggles include continuous high losses despite huge funding.

Altman also balances his roles as an AI innovator and advocate for policy changes, such as advocating for copyright law reform. His multitasking characterizes the demanding nature of leading AI development and regulation efforts.