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Comment by DalasNoin | Hacker News Reader

I tried to find estimates of Sam's net worth and found estimates from 250-700 million usd. However, it seems that most of his net worth is bound up in equity in private companies and startups[1]. 1 million usd could be a very substantial part of his liquid net worth.

[1] https://www.thestreet.com/investors/sam-altman-net-worth-how...

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For anyone who’s been in the high level SF tech scene for >15 years, $1M is not a substantial part of their liquid net worth. Certainly not for anyone who was in PGs inner circle 15 years ago.

A lot is relative. It's not a lot to be sitting in a bank or index fund. That's different from having it tied up in a risky private investment.

Also, depending how early he was, he could own significantly more than 5%.

Sam Altman claimed to have written a $375 million check from his own money to invest in Helion Energy. Maybe when all the lawsuits happen we will know more about his investments.

Like a literal check, or a proverbial check where his illiquid assets serve as collateral to a bank who writes the check?

I'm not finding the quote, but he has claimed it in front of an audience. I should point out that he is Executive Chair of Helion so I assume he still has some control over how the money is spent.

  One of those bets is on the fusion power startup Helion Energy, into which he’s poured more than $375 million, he told CNBC in 2021. The other is Retro, to which Altman cut checks totaling $180 million the same year.

  “It’s a lot. I basically just took all my liquid net worth and put it into these two companies,” Altman says.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/03/08/1069523/sam-altm...

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