OpenAI CEO Sam Altman exits Helion Energy's board as firms explore partnership
FILE PHOTO: CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman speaks during the 2026 Infrastructure Summit of government officials, corporate executives, and labor leaders, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
March 23 : OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on Monday he has stepped down from the board of directors of Helion Energy, the fusion startup he has backed since 2015, as the companies start to explore working together "at significant scale".
Altman, who is also on the OpenAI board, said the dual roles had become untenable as the ChatGPT maker eyes future partnerships with Helion. In a post on social media platform X, Altman added that he will have a financial interest in Helion and will recuse himself from any deal negotiations.
"Sam has played an integral role in Helion's development... I look forward to working with (Altman) in this new capacity," Helion CEO David Kirtley said in an X post separately.
OpenAI is also in advanced talks to buy electricity from Helion Energy, Axios reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the situation.
Under the terms being discussed, OpenAI could secure a guaranteed portion of Helion's production, initially 12.5 per cent, with talks centering on OpenAI receiving the equivalent of 5 gigawatts by 2030, scaling to 50 gigawatts by 2035, the report added.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on the Axios report. A spokesperson for Helion said: "beyond the previously announced deals with Microsoft and Nucor, Helion has not made any new customer announcements."
A potential deal underscores a broader race among the world's largest technology companies to lock in long-term energy supplies as the explosive growth of artificial intelligence strains power grids.
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all struck deals with nuclear and fusion companies that would have seemed far-fetched just a few years ago.
Helion was founded in 2013 by Kirtley, along with John Slough, Chris Pihl, and George Votroubek. It has raised over $1 billion in total funding, with a $425 million Series F closed in January 2025 that valued the company at $5.4 billion.
