A US judge dismisses the civil lawsuit Sam Altman's sister filed accusing him of childhood sexual abuse, which he denies
A US judge has dismissed the civil lawsuit filed against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by his sister, Ann Altman, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a child, per Reuters Sam Altman has denied the allegations.
Context
The ruling ends, for now, a lawsuit that had drawn attention to the chief executive of OpenAI.
This is a secondhand report: unusual_whales, a markets news account, relayed Reuters. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in St. Louis in January 2025, accused Sam Altman of abuse when his sister was a child, and Altman has denied the allegations.
Deep dive
On October 20, unusual_whales posted that a US judge had dismissed the civil lawsuit filed against OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman by his sister, which accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a child, citing Reuters. It added that Altman has denied the allegations. Walter Bloomberg posted the same headline earlier that morning. The post calls her Ann, while Reuters names her Annie Altman.
According to Reuters, US District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed the case because Annie Altman refused to appear for an independent medical examination, despite warnings that failing to do so would lead to dismissal. The ruling is based on that procedural issue, not on a finding about whether the allegations are true.
Reuters reported that a lawyer for Annie Altman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A lawyer who previously represented her but withdrew this month said he is no longer authorized to comment but continues to believe in Annie. Lawyers for Sam Altman also did not immediately respond.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2025. Sam Altman has denied the allegations. Reuters reported that the Altman family has said Annie Altman has mental health challenges, and that Sam Altman has said she began making the accusations after the family rejected her demands for more money.
Reuters did not say whether the dismissal can be appealed or refiled.
What to expect next
Watch whether Annie Altman's lawyers appeal or seek to refile the case, and whether Sam Altman or his lawyers comment on the ruling. Reuters had not reported whether the dismissal can be challenged. The court record will show whether the case is closed for good or whether further filings follow. Any statement from OpenAI about the ruling would also be new, since the company was not quoted in the Reuters report. Coverage of the case is likely to continue if either side files again.