On November 17, 2023, Sam Altman was on top of the world. By November 18, he was fired. By November 22, he was back. The five days in between nearly destroyed OpenAI.

This is the story of the most dramatic week in AI history.

The Sudden Firing

November 17, 2023, started like any other Friday at OpenAI. Sam Altman, the CEO who had led ChatGPT to global success, was busy planning the company's future. Then he got a Google Meet link.

At 12:19 PM Pacific Time, OpenAI's board told Altman he was fired. At 12:20 PM, they published a blog post announcing it to the world.

The reason? The board "no longer has confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI." They claimed Altman had not been "consistently candid in his communications with the board."

That was it. No details. No explanation. Just a vague accusation that he hadn't been truthful.

The tech world was stunned.

The Immediate Aftermath

Within hours, Greg Brockman—OpenAI's president and one of Altman's closest allies—quit in solidarity. He learned about Altman's firing just one minute before the rest of the world did.

Microsoft, OpenAI's biggest investor (they had put in $13 billion), found out at the same time as everyone else. They were furious.

Nobody understood what was happening or why.

The Chaos Unfolds

Over the weekend, the situation spiraled out of control.

The Employee Revolt

On Monday, OpenAI employees began organizing. They drafted a letter demanding the board resign and Altman return as CEO.

By Monday evening, over 700 of OpenAI's approximately 770 employees had signed it. That's more than 90% of the company threatening to quit.

The letter was simple and direct: bring back Sam and the old board, or we all leave.

Senior researchers, engineers, and key leaders all signed. The company behind the world's most popular AI was about to collapse.

Microsoft's Offer

On Sunday, November 19, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made an extraordinary move: he offered to hire Altman, Brockman, and any OpenAI employees who wanted to join them.

Microsoft would create a new AI research division, with Altman leading it. They'd have the resources to continue their work, just under a different roof.

It was a lifeline—and a threat. If OpenAI's talent left en masse, the company would be finished.

The Power Struggle

Behind the scenes, a fierce negotiation was underway.

The board had installed Emmett Shear (former Twitch CEO) as interim CEO. He lasted three days before it became clear the situation was untenable.

Investors pressured the board to reverse course. Employees threatened to walk. Microsoft applied leverage. The world watched and waited.

The board that fired Altman claimed they were acting in OpenAI's best interest, protecting the company's mission of safe AI development. But with 90% of employees ready to quit, they had no company left to protect.

The Breaking Point

On Tuesday, November 21, negotiations intensified. The choice was stark: bring Altman back or watch OpenAI die.

The board had the legal authority to keep him fired. But they couldn't run a company with no employees.

The Reinstatement

On November 22, 2023—just five days after the firing—OpenAI announced Sam Altman would return as CEO.

But this wasn't simply a reversal. The board was replaced. New members joined, bringing more business experience and less ideological conflict. The power structure had fundamentally shifted.

Altman was back, but the company would never be the same.

Why It Mattered

The OpenAI drama revealed deep tensions about AI development that extend far beyond one company.

The Safety vs. Speed Debate

At the heart of the conflict was a fundamental question: Should AI companies move fast to deploy powerful technology, or slow down to ensure safety?

The board reportedly worried Altman was prioritizing growth over caution. Altman's supporters argued that responsible deployment meant making AI widely available, not locking it away.

This wasn't just an OpenAI problem. Every AI company faces this tension.

The Power of Employees

The employee revolt showed that in modern tech companies, talent has leverage. The board had legal control, but employees had practical power.

You can't run an AI company without AI researchers. And if they all threaten to leave, governance documents don't matter.

Microsoft's Growing Influence

The crisis highlighted Microsoft's central role in OpenAI's future. Their offer to hire everyone made clear that they had the resources—and willingness—to recreate OpenAI from scratch.

Going forward, Microsoft's influence over OpenAI would only grow.

Where Are They Now?

Sam Altman remains CEO of OpenAI, which has continued to thrive. ChatGPT now has over 200 million weekly users. The company has released GPT-4o, expanded into voice and video, and launched a $200/month Pro tier.

But the November 2023 crisis left scars. The ideological tensions between safety and progress haven't disappeared—they've just been pushed beneath the surface.

The board that fired Altman is gone, replaced by members more aligned with rapid commercialization. Whether that's good or bad for AI's future depends on who you ask.

One thing is certain: those five days in November 2023 changed OpenAI forever. The company survived, but its founding vision—of carefully developed, safety-first AI—became much harder to maintain.

The drama proved that in the AI race, business pressures can override almost everything else. Even, apparently, the board that's supposed to keep those pressures in check.