Screenshot of a post by Wojciech Zaremba on X, on September 27. It reads as follows:
It’s sad to see Mira, Bob, and Barret go—not only because they are excellent leaders but also because I will miss seeing them day to day. They are my friends.
Their departures made me think about the hardships parents faced in the Middle Ages when 6 out of 8 children would die prematurely. Despite the profound loss, the parents had to accept it and find deep joy and satisfaction in the 2 who survived.
OpenAI is not perfect, and that’s fine. In all sorts of ways, this is an opportunity. The organization has achieved a lot and has tremendous potential. I am amazed by the number of talented people around me in the organization. I am in awe of the sheer number of GPUs, users, and people whose lives ChatGPT have changed (there are even cases of people whose lives were saved by ChatGPT).
With all its imperfections, OpenAI is extraordinarily amazing. Sam, despite all his shortcomings and mistakes, has created an incredible organization.
I wish Mira, Bob, and Barret all the best in finding whatever brings them tremendous joy. That might mean spending time with their kids, starting something new as CEOs, or simply taking some time to chill. They have been sprinting an ultramarathon.
Thank you, guys, for being my team and my co-workers. With each of you, I have collected cool memories — with Barret, when we had a fierce conflict about compute for what later became o1; with Bob, when he reprimanded me for doing a jacuzzi with a coworker; and with Mira, who witnessed my engagement.
In the end, there is only love.
I read this and feel like I need to cleanse myself. I have no idea what is going on in the world anymore. Dissertations will be written about this note.