You're right. But he is a visionary and a leader with a solid grasp of where the field is heading and what people want out of AI, not to mention his wealth of connections.
If the 500 or so employees that threatened to quit actually follow through, they'll probably feel better with someone at the helm who understands what they are accustomed to.
This is just how things are now. These are products, not research projects, so OpenAI is keeping their secret sauce close to their chest.