OpenAI anti-disparagement clause: 80% net worth
The $2 million in OpenAI equity that Kokotajlo stood to lose represented approximately 80% of his and his wife's total net worth at the time.
Snapshot · The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
OpenAI Whistleblower FINALLY Speaks: “AI Has A 70% Chance Of Going Horribly Wrong!“
Explore episode
Jul 13, 2026
Where this was said
The $2 Million NDA Controversy Explained
At 18:26 · chapter starts 16:56
Steven Bartlett raises the story that first brought Kokotajlo to wide public attention: the $2 million he stood to lose for refusing to sign OpenAI's exit paperwork. Kokotajlo walks through it methodically. After his farewell, he received exit documents containing two clauses: one requiring him never to criticise the company publicly, and a second requiring him to keep the existence of the first clause confidential. He found this incongruous for a nonprofit supposedly acting 'for the benefit of all humanity.' He and his wife spent a month to two months discussing it, consulted lawyers, and ultimately refused to sign. The $2 million in equity represented about 80% of their net worth at the time. What they didn't anticipate was the internet's reaction: employees started asking questions on Slack, a scandal erupted, and OpenAI quietly reversed the policy — keeping equity for all past employees. Sam Altman publicly claimed he hadn't known about the clause, a claim Kokotajlo politely but clearly disbelieves.
$2M equity forfeited to speak freely
Kokotajlo refused to sign OpenAI's anti-disparagement exit clause and stood to lose roughly $2 million — about 80% of his net worth — before the policy was publicly reversed.
Similar snapshots
$25K/month revenue
Avnish's solopreneur business reached $25,000 per month in revenue using a community-driven, zero-ad-spend marketing strategy.
15 months to $25K/month
Avnish scaled his business from zero to $25K/month in just 15 months using a single core marketing strategy.
Zero marketing spend
Avnish acquired thousands of users without spending any money on marketing, relying entirely on Reddit and Facebook groups.
Single thousands to tens of thousands of users
One specific Reddit or Facebook post was responsible for taking Avnish's user base from single thousands to tens of thousands.
5-step playbook
Avnish developed a 5-step process specifically for finding early users through Facebook groups and Reddit communities.
80% of time above the fold
Focus 80% of your landing page design effort on the hero section — the first thing visitors see when they open the website.
Hero section carries full message
The hero section must convey the product's complete value proposition on its own, so visitors instantly understand what it is.
First couple of seconds matter most
Visitors decide whether to stay or leave within just a few seconds, so immediate clarity is essential on any landing page.
Pain-point headline drives conversion
Highlighting time savings, money savings, or a painful problem solved in the headline and subheading is the core conversion lever.
