“Burning money is the foundation of his business”: FT criticized Altman

Financial Times published an unusual analysis of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s management style. In their material, journalists drew parallels between Altman’s kitchen habits and his approach to running one of the leading companies in the field of artificial intelligence.

As part of a cooking show from Financial Times, Altman demonstrated how he cooks ordinary vegetable pasta. However, instead of discussing culinary skills, the journalists’ attention was drawn to completely different aspects. Namely – the selection and use of products and tools.

Journalists noted the expensive olive oil costing $21, which Altman used for frying. According to critics, such use of a premium product negates its taste qualities, making it indistinguishable from the cheapest alternatives.

The second object of criticism — a coffee machine for $2000. Journalists characterized it as an overrated, inefficient, and frequently malfunctioning device. Calling the purchase “money down the drain” and “the stupidest.”

Altman’s kitchen knife also did not escape criticism. Despite the fact that it looks expensive and possibly custom-made, journalists noted that the entrepreneur “absolutely does not know how to use it.”

In concluding their analysis, Financial Times journalists draw a direct analogy between Altman’s kitchen habits and his management style. I quote. “His kitchen is a world of inefficiency and misunderstanding. Burning money is the foundation of his life and his business.”

That’s quite a roasting. And an example of how details of a technology company leader’s personal life can be subjected to analysis. And interpreted through the prism of his professional activities.