Sam Altman Moves to Dismiss Punitive Damages in Sister's Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, has filed a motion in St. Louis federal court seeking to strike punitive damages from a civil lawsuit brought by his sister, Annie Altman, who accuses him of repeated sexual abuse spanning nearly a decade during their childhood. Altman firmly denies all allegations.

In the Wednesday filing, his legal team argued that Missouri's child sexual abuse statute does not permit punitive damages, restricting recovery solely to damages tied to physical or psychological injury resulting from the alleged abuse. Altman's attorneys further contend that punitive damages cannot apply to conduct allegedly committed while he was still a minor. Alongside this motion, Altman renewed his push to have the lawsuit dismissed entirely.

Annie Altman's legal representatives had not publicly responded to the filing as of the time of reporting.

Annie Altman claims her brother sexually abused and raped her between 1997 and 2006, beginning when she was three years old and he was twelve, continuing until he reached adulthood. She alleges the final incidents of abuse occurred after Sam Altman turned 18. He is currently 40 years old.

The Altman family has publicly stated that Annie Altman has struggled with mental health issues and received ongoing financial assistance from the family. Sam Altman alleges the lawsuit followed her demands for escalating financial support, which the family declined. He has filed a countersuit against his sister for defamation, citing social media posts in which she allegedly referred to "an almost tech billionaire" who abused her. He is seeking just $1 in damages, stating he has no desire to cause her financial harm but wants a court ruling affirming that her statements are false.

Annie Altman's original lawsuit was filed in January 2025. Meanwhile, Sam Altman is also preparing for an April 27 trial stemming from Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI, which alleges the company abandoned its nonprofit mission and defrauded Musk into making donations. Microsoft, a key OpenAI partner, is also named as a defendant in that case.