What makes you say that?

Given other accounts of Altman's persona, both publicly and from personal accounts to me, he seems to be rabidly competitive and cutthroat:

[1] "You could parachute [Sam] into an island full of cannibals and come back in 5 years and he'd be the king"

[2] “But I have guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force, and a big patch of land in Big Sur I can fly to.”

[2] "Graham said, “I asked Sam in our kitchen, ‘Do you want to take over YC?,’ and he smiled, like, it worked."

So in the context of Yishan's comment, it demonstrates to me that the "joking" was a subtle nod that he wouldn't have any qualms with back room dealing and manipulation to reach a goal.

While that might sound like a hit on him, it's actually not. I relate to that approach strongly, and think it's actually the right way to play it.

However I think it's actually a bad comparison to say he's the "nicest guy in the valley." That title goes to Steve Wozniak.

[1]http://paulgraham.com/fundraising.html

[2]http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/10/sam-altmans-man...