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Judge dismisses lawsuit against Sam Altman by his sister
21 Mar 2026

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Annie Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. She had accused her brother of sexually abusing her over 20 years ago.

However, US District Judge Zachary Bluestone in St Louis said Annie can refile under a different legal theory.

The judge also allowed Sam to countersue his sister for defamation.

Allegations expired in 2008
Case dismissal

Judge Bluestone ruled that Annie could not pursue claims of sexual assault and battery against her brother, as they had expired in 2008.

The alleged abuse was said to have occurred between 1997 and 2006.

However, he did allow Annie to file an amended complaint under Missouri's Childhood Sexual Abuse statute.

Sam has denied all allegations made by his sister.

Annie's statements on social media
Counterclaim details

Sam's defamation counterclaim is based on posts made between 2021 and 2024 on platforms like X and TikTok.

In these posts, Annie referred to the alleged abuse, often without naming her brother.

One of the videos said she was "touched by older siblings" while another claimed "an almost tech billionaire" molested her.

Judge Bluestone ruled these statements imply a reasonable inference that Sam was the accused perpetrator.

Annie to file amended complaint
Legal proceedings

Annie's lawyer, Ryan Mahoney, said she will file an amended complaint and continue collecting evidence.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Sam declined to comment on the matter.

The lawsuit was filed in January 2025 over alleged abuse at their family home in Clayton, Missouri.

Sam's family has claimed that Annie suffers from mental health issues.

In a court filing, he claimed his family is "deliberate and thoughtful" in helping her but called the lawsuit extortionate.