In an unexpected turn of events, on 22 November, OpenAI announced that Sam Altman would return as CEO (chief executive officer), ending a boardroom saga that sent shockwaves across the information technology industry.

The company said that it had reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman’s return. The high-profile AI startup is also reforming its board and has announced a new initial board of directors.

The new board member includes the former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor, who will serve as the chair of the new board; other members include Adam D’Angelo, co-founder and CEO of Quora, and Larry Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury. D’Angelo has retained his position on the revamped bard after he initially ousted Altman.

On 22 November, Sam Altman said, “I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. When I decided to join Microsoft on Sunday evening, it was clear that was the best path for me and the team. With the new board and with Satya’s support, I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI and building on our strong partnership with Microsoft.”

Microsoft chief Satya Nadella also expressed his disappointment with the OpenAI board’s decision last week.

Satya Nadella, executive chairman and CEO of Microsoft, said, “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is the first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance. Sam, Greg, and I have talked and agreed they have a key role to play along with the OAI leadership team in ensuring OAI continues to thrive and build on its mission. We look forward to building on our strong partnership and delivering the value of this next generation of AI to our customers and partners.”