OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
CAROLINE SAVOIE | East Texas Reporter
CaroSavo@StoryDustSearch.com
A viral social media saga claiming OpenAI CEO Sam Altman solicited a hookup on Grindr from comedian and musician Jake Schroeder was entirely fabricated, OpenAI said this week, even as the tech executive separately fights a federal child sexual abuse lawsuit filed by his sister.
Schroeder, 24, began the bit on Aug. 5 with an Instagram post showing purported Grindr screenshots of someone identifying as Altman messaging him because he was “lonely and horny.” In the screenshots, Schroeder appeared to turn down the advance, prompting the supposed Altman to ask whether Schroeder had used ChatGPT to write his reply.
The post drew nearly 150,000 likes.
Schroeder escalated the story in subsequent posts, presenting what he described as correspondence from OpenAI’s legal team, a claimed Zoom meeting and an alleged offer of $500 and a branded crewneck sweatshirt to make the matter go away.
He also released a song based on the saga.
Some followers took the story at face value, with one commenter on TikTok asking why it wasn’t receiving wider news coverage.
Vulture Magazine reported that an OpenAI spokesperson told the magazine that the company had no involvement with Schroeder and that the posts were fabricated.
Schroeder is an openly gay comedian and musician who previously worked as a software engineer at Grindr before building an online following for turning news and pop culture topics into piano-based songs, according to reporting.
Separate legal battle
The hoax circulated as Altman contends with unrelated litigation: a federal lawsuit filed by his sister, Ann Altman, alleging repeated childhood sexual abuse between 1997 and 2006. Portions of the suit have survived challenges based on the statute of limitations.
Altman denies the allegations and has the support of other family members, according to reporting on the case. He has filed a countersuit against his sister for defamation, seeking $1 in damages and a court ruling declaring her claims false.