A New Yorker investigation accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of systematic deception, drawing direct comparisons to Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) and Bernie Madoff from senior Microsoft executives.

Worldcoin (WLD), the crypto project Altman co-founded, fell 2.9% to $0.2432 as the revelations hit social media. The token is down over 10% in the past seven days.

The SBF Shadow Over Sam Altman

The 15,000-word article by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz draws on interviews with over 100 people. An unnamed OpenAI board member described Altman’s behavior in stark terms.

“He has two traits that are almost never seen in the same person. The first is a strong desire to please people, to be liked in any given interaction. The second is almost a sociopathic lack of concern for the consequences that may come from deceiving someone,” wrote The New Yorker, citing an OpenAI Board Member.

Multiple senior Microsoft executives allegedly told the reporters that OpenAI’s CEO had repeatedly misrepresented agreements and reneged on deals.

One said there was a real chance Altman would be remembered alongside Madoff or SBF as a major financial fraud.

Katie Miller amplified the comparison on X (Twitter), arguing that those who worked closest with Altman, including Elon Musk and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, consistently flagged him as dishonest.

Elon Musk responded to the story by writing that Altman is “not who you want in charge of superintelligence.”

OpenAI’s Financial Cracks Widen

The exposé lands during an already turbulent period for OpenAI. CFO Sarah Friar reportedly told colleagues the company is not ready for its planned 2026 IPO.

Based on reports, she warned that slowing revenue growth may not sustain spending of over $600 billion on committed servers through 2030.

Altman has responded by excluding Friar from key financial discussions, according to The Information.

Since August 2025, she no longer reports directly to him. This structural shift raises governance questions ahead of what could be one of the largest IPOs in history.

What This Means for Worldcoin

WLD now trades at $0.2432 with a market cap of roughly $790 million. The token faces additional supply pressure from a major cliff unlock on July 23, releasing 52.5% of the total supply.

Altman’s credibility is not just a corporate governance issue. It directly affects investor confidence in every project tied to his name.

With Worldcoin already near all-time lows, the convergence of founder risk and token dilution creates a challenging environment for holders watching the SBF comparisons gain traction.