Feels like Ilya got played. Microsoft wants to monetize but can't get past the non-profit board, Ilya starts to get pushed out, worries about Sam having too much power, organizes a coup with the board. The board drops Sam, a bunch of the other employees make a big stink about it. Sam asks for them to "kneel" by recanting their earlier statements and apologize. Board doubles down, hires a new CEO. Sam defects to Microsoft, which he might have already sided with, guts organization that has some sort of guardrails on it. Now Satya and Sam have free reign over the project while Ilya is left on the sidelines. A well orchestrated business coup in a similar vein to how Suharto in Indonesia gained power.
Someone defects, organizes a takeover (Ilya)
You rush in as the savior (Microsoft), stabilize the situation, defeat the defectors who never had a chance
Take control using emergency powers (Sam goes to Microsoft, enough of OpenAI goes with him to cement the takeover)
I don't think this was a planned thing per se. More opportunistic than anything.
Feels like Ilya got played. Microsoft wants to monetize but can't get past the non-profit board, Ilya starts to get pushed out, worries about Sam having too much power, organizes a coup with the board. The board drops Sam, a bunch of the other employees make a big stink about it. Sam asks for them to "kneel" by recanting their earlier statements and apologize. Board doubles down, hires a new CEO. Sam defects to Microsoft, which he might have already sided with, guts organization that has some sort of guardrails on it. Now Satya and Sam have free reign over the project while Ilya is left on the sidelines. A well orchestrated business coup in a similar vein to how Suharto in Indonesia gained power.
I don't think this was a planned thing per se. More opportunistic than anything.