March 23 (Reuters) - OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on Monday he has stepped down from the board of directors of Helion Energy, the fusion startup he has backed since 2015, as the companies
Sam Altman Leaves Helion Board as OpenAI & Helion Explore Large-Scale Energy Partnership
OpenAI and Helion Energy: Board Changes and Strategic Partnership Developments
Sam Altman's Departure from Helion Board
March 23 (Reuters) - OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on Monday he has stepped down from the board of directors of Helion Energy, the fusion startup he has backed since 2015, as the companies start to explore working together "at significant scale".
Altman, who is also on the OpenAI board, said the dual roles had become untenable as the ChatGPT maker eyes future partnerships with Helion. In a post on social media platform X, Altman added that he will have a financial interest in Helion and will recuse himself from any deal negotiations.
Helion CEO's Response
"Sam has played an integral role in Helion's development... I look forward to working with (Altman) in this new capacity," Helion CEO David Kirtley said in an X post separately.
Potential OpenAI-Helion Energy Partnership
OpenAI is also in advanced talks to buy electricity from Helion Energy, Axios reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the situation.
Terms Under Discussion
Under the terms being discussed, OpenAI could secure a guaranteed portion of Helion's production, initially 12.5%, with talks centering on OpenAI receiving the equivalent of 5 gigawatts by 2030, scaling to 50 gigawatts by 2035, the report added.
Company Responses
OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on the Axios report. A spokesperson for Helion said: "beyond the previously announced deals with Microsoft and Nucor, Helion has not made any new customer announcements."
Broader Industry Context
A potential deal underscores a broader race among the world's largest technology companies to lock in long-term energy supplies as the explosive growth of artificial intelligence strains power grids.
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all struck deals with nuclear and fusion companies that would have seemed far-fetched just a few years ago.
About Helion Energy
Helion was founded in 2013 by Kirtley, along with John Slough, Chris Pihl, and George Votroubek. It has raised over $1 billion in total funding, with a $425 million Series F closed in January 2025 that valued the company at $5.4 billion.
(Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
