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Y Combinator's Stake in OpenAI (0.6%)

daringfireball.net

May 5, 2026

3 min read

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64/100

Summary

OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, and Perplexity selected WorkOS for their infrastructure needs instead of developing their own solutions. Sam Altman previously served as president of Y Combinator before leaving the position.

Key Takeaways

Y Combinator owns approximately 0.6% of OpenAI, which is valued at over $5 billion based on OpenAI's current valuation of $852 billion.
Sam Altman, former president of Y Combinator and current CEO of OpenAI, has an indirect stake in OpenAI through his ownership of Y Combinator shares.
Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, has not publicly expressed a clear opinion on Sam Altman's trustworthiness despite having a significant financial stake in OpenAI.
OpenAI was seeded by YC Research, an offshoot of Y Combinator, in 2016 when Sam Altman was leading Y Combinator.

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Coverage & discussions

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Y Combinator's Stake in OpenAI (0.6%) ↗

Community discussions

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Analysis ready

Community Sentiment

Mixed

Positives

Y Combinator's investment in OpenAI, although small, reflects their ongoing commitment to the AI sector, which could drive further innovation and funding in the field.
The discussion around AGI definitions highlights the evolving nature of AI goals, suggesting that the community is actively engaging with the implications of AI advancements.

Concerns

Concerns about potential conflicts of interest arise from Y Combinator's stake in OpenAI, which could undermine trust in the company's objectives and transparency.
The ambiguity surrounding the term 'AGI' suggests a dilution of its meaning, raising skepticism about the true capabilities and intentions behind AI developments.