Sam Altman: Very Few Investors Actually Step Up to Help
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated that the number of investors who truly show up and try to help founders is incredibly low. He specifically named Josh Kushner as the absolute MVP investor, who has been almost always available to assist OpenAI over the years and is the only investor who continuously provides significant help. Altman described this ongoing support as surprisingly rare, but something that founders genuinely appreciate and that can actually drive progress. Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
Josh Kushner has heavily invested in OpenAI through Thrive Capital, with a total investment exceeding $1 billion, and he was deeply involved in coordination during the board crisis in 2023. In terms of capital pathways, top VCs are shifting from merely providing funds to offering high-intensity operational support, with Kushner's all-weather involvement becoming a key differentiator between ordinary LPs and true partners. Similar to the long-term companionship model of early Silicon Valley angels like Ron Conway, current cutting-edge AI companies are at a stage where they require deeply engaged investors. This essentially represents a re-matching of human capital and capital, with the scarcity of proactive support elevating the premium for investors who can truly "step up." ABAB News · Cognitive Law
- Investors who truly step up are always in the minority.
- All-weather support is scarcer than checks.
- Founders remember those who were present during crises.