[largely scooped by WSJ] WilmerHale, a prominent US law firm, is close to wrapping up a detailed review of OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, and his ouster from the artificial intelligence start-up late last year, two people with knowledge of the proceedings said.
…Mr. Altman, 38, has told people in recent weeks that the investigation was nearing a close, the two people with knowledge of the matter said. The results could be delivered to OpenAI’s board as soon as early next month, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of nondisclosure agreements.
…Investigators spent the past 3 months interviewing OpenAI employees and executives after its former board said it no longer had confidence in Mr. Altman’s ability to run the company, the people said…Privately, the board worried that Mr. Altman was not sharing all his plans to raise money from investors in the Middle East for an AI chip project, people with knowledge of the matter have said.
…OpenAI nearly imploded during the leadership crisis, endangering a potential windfall for its investors, such as Microsoft, and its employees. In the months since Mr. Altman’s reinstatement, insiders have scrambled to contain the fallout, advising employees to keep potential dissent quiet for fear of jeopardizing the company’s fortunes.