OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has won a court battle against his sister after a US judge dismissed her sexual abuse lawsuit, citing her repeated failure to attend court-ordered medical examinations despite being warned that the case could be thrown out.
Ann Altman had accused her older brother of sexually abusing her over a period spanning 1997 to 2006. Sam has denied the allegations, while members of the Altman family have publicly rejected the claims.
US District Judge Zachary Bluestone ruled that Ann had failed to meet key requirements in the case after missing three separate appointments for an independent medical examination. The judge said she had been given several opportunities to comply but had failed to take them.
In his written ruling, Bluestone said the repeated failures had stalled the legal proceedings and left the court with no further option but to dismiss the case.
"Because Annie has continued to violate her discovery obligations and forced this case to a halt through her intransigence, the Court has run out of options and, thus, dismisses her claims with prejudice," he said in his written order.
A dismissal with prejudice generally prevents a claimant from filing the same claims again in a new lawsuit.
Ann filed the case on January 6, 2025, in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, accusing Sam of beginning to abuse her when she was three years old and he was 12.
The allegations covered several years, with Ann claiming the abuse continued between 1997 and 2006. Sam has denied the accusations.
The lawsuit also brought renewed attention to tensions within the family, particularly over Ann's financial needs and the support her relatives said they had provided over the years.
In a joint statement issued by Sam, their mother and their two brothers when the allegations came to light, the family said they were worried about Ann's wellbeing and had made efforts over several years to help her.
They said Ann received monthly financial assistance and that the family also covered her rent and other bills. According to the statement, they had additionally tried to help her obtain medical care and other forms of support.
The family maintained that Ann's accusations against Sam had changed considerably over time, dismissing them as "utterly untrue".
They also said Ann was dealing with mental health challenges and suggested the allegations emerged amid continued demands for additional financial support.
Despite the family's denials, the case proceeded through the US court system before Bluestone dismissed it over Ann's failure to comply with the examination requirements.
The ruling was based on her failure to meet the court's procedural requirements, rather than a reported trial determination of whether the alleged abuse occurred.
Sam Altman is a co-founder of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company that launched ChatGPT in 2022. The chatbot has since become a widely used tool for answering questions, generating content and assisting with a range of tasks.