OpenAI turns down viral CEO application, flags proposal as 'apocalyptic'

OpenAI has declined a viral job application submitted by a tech professional named Ömer Öztok, who had pitched himself for the role of chief executive officer, with the company said to have admired his boldness but found his proposals 'apocalyptic'.

As per The Economic Times, Öztok’s application departed sharply from conventional formats and included a series of unconventional ideas, such as replacing senior executives with artificial intelligence agents and recruiting entire AI teams from rival technology companies instead of submitting a standard cover letter.

Öztok proposed that his first action as OpenAI’s CEO would be to replace the entire C-suite, except himself, with ChatGPT agents. Screenshots of the application circulating online also showed him joking about poaching Meta’s AI team by offering ChatGPT Plus subscriptions for life, acquiring Google solely for its name, and training GPT-6 exclusively on his own social media posts.

On LinkedIn, Öztok, who describes himself as the founder of multiple startups, shared screenshots of OpenAI’s response to what he referred to as his overambitious application. He wrote that he had applied for something bigger by seeking the CEO role at OpenAI and stated that replacing the entire C-suite with ChatGPT agents appeared to have raised concerns. He further said that his own startup would one day overtake Sam Altman’s firm and asked observers to watch that space.

In screenshots of the alleged rejection email shared by Öztok, OpenAI described the ideas outlined in the application as apocalyptic and legally disruptive. The company declined the application and informed him that it would proceed with a more traditional candidate who did not request half of the company.

The email, attributed to the OpenAI Global Leadership Team, thanked Öztok for his application but stated that several elements had raised concern within the executive team. It cited his proposal to replace the entire C-suite with ChatGPT agents and flagged his suggestions around acquiring rival firms and training future models as disruptive from a legal perspective, while acknowledging his enthusiasm and boldness.

The exchange between the applicant and OpenAI triggered a wave of reactions on social media, where users described the episode as humorous and praised Öztok for taking a chance. Several users commented on the audacity of the application, with others joking about the shareholding request and suggesting the rejection itself appeared to have been written using AI.