Sam Altman Steps Down as Oklo Chair, Paving Way for AI-Nuclear Power Partnerships

Sam Altman steps down as chair of nuclear power supplier Oklo to avoid conflict

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman is stepping down as chair of Oklo to avoid a conflict of interest ahead of talks between his company and the nuclear start-up on an energy supply agreement, as the race to power artificial intelligence intensifies. Altman, who was an early-stage investor in Oklo, will step down immediately and be replaced by Jacob DeWitte, the group's CEO and co-founder. The move comes as the AI industry strives to procure high-wattage, low-carbon energy supplies. Although it may be years before tech companies can benefit from nuclear power, the launch of DeepSeek, the less energy-intensive Chinese large language model competitor, has underscored the urgency for western companies such as OpenAI to compete. Oklo has yet to enter into any firm partnerships or receive approval for any of its designs from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in the US. While the size of any potential agreement between Oklo and OpenAI is not known, it would add to a growing trend of direct contracts between small modular reactor developers and the technology industry. Altman has repeatedly emphasised the importance of new infrastructure in the race to develop new AI models, and OpenAI is set to massively increase its power demands over the next four years as it bids to dominate the nascent sector. The company has launched Stargate, a $500bn project with SoftBank, to develop data centres to fuel its ambitions. Small modular reactors are advanced nuclear plants with a capacity of 300 megawatts or less, about a third of standard facilities. Small reactor developers including Oklo, X-energy and Newcleo have raised at least $1.5bn since early 2024, with companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce and Holtec International committing funds. Altman became Oklo's chair in 2015. The OpenAI co-founder has a series of other business interests, including an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in Helion, a nuclear fusion company. Altman's web of financial interests and side projects had caused concern before OpenAI's board ousted him in 2023 -- and subsequently reinstated him a week later. Following a review into his sacking, OpenAI announced it would strengthen its policy on conflicts of interest. "Fission is an essential solution for meeting the growing energy demands of artificial intelligence," said Altman in a statement. "As Oklo explores strategic partnerships to deploy clean energy at scale, particularly to enable the deployment of AI, I believe now is the right time for me to step down." Oklo has signed a number of nonbinding agreements to supply power, such as a 12GW deal with Switch, a data centre operator. A power purchase agreement was what Oklo "needs to move forward", said Marc Bianchi, an energy analyst at investment bank TD Cowen. "They can put financing in place if they've got a PPA, which helps fund the investment." Oklo's share price has lost 61 per cent of its value since investor enthusiasm drove it to a high of $55.49 in February 2025.

Sam Altman steps down as Oklo board chair, freeing nuclear startup to work with more AI companies

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at Station F, is seen through glass, during an event on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, France, Feb. 11, 2025. OpenAI's Sam Altman is stepping down as chairman of the board of nuclear startup Oklo, after bringing the company public through a merger with his SPAC, AltC Acquisition Corp, in May 2024. The move gives Oklo, which is developing micro nuclear reactors, more flexibility to potentially explore partnerships with OpenAI or other hyperscalers, amid data center companies' push to secure power. "We are excited to continue working with him [Sam Altman] to bring scalable, clean energy to the AI sector and beyond, and to continue to explore strategic partnerships with leading AI companies, including potentially with OpenAI," Caroline Cochran, Oklo's co-founder and COO, said in a statement. "As Oklo explores strategic partnerships to deploy clean energy at scale, particularly to enable the deployment of AI, I believe now is the right time for me to step down," added Altman. In December Oklo signed an agreement to provide up to 12 gigawatts of power for data center company Switch. But to date Oklo hasn't signed an agreement with one of the hyperscalers, despite the tech industry's interest in baseload, emissions-free power. Oklo says its microreactors, called Aurora, have smaller and simpler designs that will range from 15 megawatts to as much as 100 megawatts or more. The company plans to build and operate the plants, directly selling power to customers under long-term contracts. Oklo plans to launch its first reactor at Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls before the end of the decade. -- CNBC's Spencer Kimball contributed to this report. Uncertain markets? Gain an edge with CNBC Pro LIVE, an exclusive, inaugural event at the historic New York Stock Exchange. In today's dynamic financial landscape, access to expert insights is paramount. As a CNBC Pro subscriber, we invite you to join us for our first exclusive, in-person CNBC Pro LIVE event at the iconic NYSE on Thursday, June 12.

Oklo chair Sam Altman resigns to boost nuclear ties with AI firms

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has stepped down as chairman of the board of Oklo, a California-based nuclear startup. This comes just months after Altman helped Oklo go public through a merger with AltC Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) he also chairs. That merger was finalized in May 2024. Altman's departure is meant to give Oklo more flexibility to explore strategic partnerships, especially in the AI sector. The company said the move eliminates potential conflicts of interest, particularly as Oklo tries to grow its customer base among tech companies hungry for clean and reliable energy.