Sam Altman asks US court to dismiss punitive damages in lawsuit filed by his sister
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has asked a US court to dismiss punitive charges against him in a civil lawsuit filed by his sister. The lawsuit accused the OpenAI co-founder of repeated sexual abuse more than 20 years ago. In a fling with St. Louis federal court , Sam Altman said Missouri's child sexual abuse statute does not authorize punitive damages for Annie Altman's claims, says a Reuters report. Instead, it limits her to "damages for injury or illness" caused by childhood sexual abuse. He further claims that punitive damages are also unavailable for conduct he allegedly committed as a child, the report adds.

Sam Altman’s sister amends lawsuit alleging sexual abuse
The lawsuit began in 2025 when Annie alleged that the abuse took place during their childhood in Missouri, spanning from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. US district judge Zachary Bluestone ruled last month that Annie Altman cannot pursue the sexual assault case and battery claims because the statute of limitations expired in 2008. However, he allowed her to refile the complaint under Missouri’s Childhood Sexual Abuse statute, which permits certain claims from long ago.
Filing an amended complaint in St. Louis federal court, Annie now accuses her brother of childhood sexual abuse, after a judge dismissed her earlier civil lawsuit. Annie now alleges that Altman abused her between 1997 and 2006 at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, beginning when she was three years old and he was 12.
Sam Altman files defamation suit against his sister
Sam Altman has filed a defamation counterclaim, citing Annie’s social media posts between 2021 and 2024 that referenced alleged abuse. In some posts, she described being “touched by older siblings” and claimed “an almost tech billionaire” molested her, without naming him directly.
Altman is reportedly seeking $1, saying he "does not want to harm his sister financially" but wants a verdict that her statements are not true.
Sam Altman’s sister amends lawsuit alleging sexual abuse
The lawsuit began in 2025 when Annie alleged that the abuse took place during their childhood in Missouri, spanning from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. US district judge Zachary Bluestone ruled last month that Annie Altman cannot pursue the sexual assault case and battery claims because the statute of limitations expired in 2008. However, he allowed her to refile the complaint under Missouri’s Childhood Sexual Abuse statute, which permits certain claims from long ago.
Filing an amended complaint in St. Louis federal court, Annie now accuses her brother of childhood sexual abuse, after a judge dismissed her earlier civil lawsuit. Annie now alleges that Altman abused her between 1997 and 2006 at their family home in Clayton, Missouri, beginning when she was three years old and he was 12.
Sam Altman files defamation suit against his sister
Sam Altman has filed a defamation counterclaim, citing Annie’s social media posts between 2021 and 2024 that referenced alleged abuse. In some posts, she described being “touched by older siblings” and claimed “an almost tech billionaire” molested her, without naming him directly.
Altman is reportedly seeking $1, saying he "does not want to harm his sister financially" but wants a verdict that her statements are not true.
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