Greg Brockman | Generated by AI
Greg Brockman, born November 29, 1987, in Thompson, North Dakota, is an American entrepreneur, investor, and software engineer renowned for his pivotal role in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) as a co-founder and president of OpenAI. A self-taught machine learning practitioner, Brockman’s career blends technical expertise, entrepreneurial vision, and a commitment to democratizing AI for societal benefit. His journey from a small-town upbringing to a leading figure in AI reflects a blend of academic excellence, strategic career moves, and a passion for technology’s potential to transform humanity.
Early Life and Education
Brockman grew up in a family of physicians at Altru Health System, showing early aptitude in mathematics, chemistry, and computer science. At Red River High School in Grand Forks, he excelled academically, winning a silver medal at the 2006 International Chemistry Olympiad in South Korea and becoming the first North Dakota finalist in the Intel Science Talent Search since 1973 for his paper on Ducci sequences, which earned sixth place in 2007 and was published in Fibonacci Quarterly. He attended Canada/USA Mathcamp in 2003, 2005, and 2007, honing his mathematical skills. In 2008, Brockman enrolled at Harvard University to double-major in mathematics and computer science but dropped out after a year. He briefly attended MIT in 2010, where he worked on projects like XVM and scripts.mit.edu, before leaving to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
Career Beginnings: Stripe
In 2010, Brockman joined Stripe, a payment processing startup founded by his MIT classmate Patrick Collison and Collison’s brother John. As a founding engineer, he contributed to Stripe’s infrastructure, helping it grow from four to over 250 employees. In 2013, he became Stripe’s first Chief Technology Officer (CTO), overseeing technological advancements that raised the company’s valuation to $3.5 billion by 2014. Brockman supported Stripe’s investment in the cryptocurrency Stellar, showcasing his forward-thinking approach. In May 2015, he left Stripe to focus on AI projects, driven by a growing fascination with the field.
OpenAI and AI Leadership
In December 2015, Brockman co-founded OpenAI with Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever, and others, aiming to advance AI research responsibly. Initially a nonprofit, OpenAI focused on developing safe, transparent AI systems. Brockman served as CTO, playing a key role in projects like GPT-3 and GPT-4, the latter unveiled by him in a live demo on March 14, 2023. His leadership extended to shaping OpenAI’s mission to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity, emphasizing accessibility and ethical deployment. In 2019, OpenAI transitioned to a capped-profit model (OpenAI LP) to attract capital, with Brockman as president and chairman.
In November 2023, OpenAI faced a leadership shakeup when Brockman was removed from the board and briefly resigned after Sam Altman’s firing. Both joined Microsoft to lead an AI research team, but after Altman’s reinstatement as OpenAI’s CEO, Brockman returned on November 21, 2023. He took a sabbatical in August 2024, returning in November 2024 as president. His TED talk, “The Inside Story of ChatGPT’s Astonishing Potential,” highlighted ChatGPT’s design and potential, reinforcing his advocacy for AI democratization.
Angel Investing and Recognition
Beyond OpenAI, Brockman is an active angel investor, backing over 20 startups by 2021, including Command E (a cross-application search tool) and Grubhub’s delivery robots. His investments span AI, developer tools, and generative tech, with a sweet spot of $1.5 million for seed-stage ventures. Recognized on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in 2018 for Enterprise Technology and Time’s TIME100 AI list in 2023, Brockman also testified at the first U.S. Senate hearing on AI in 2018, advocating for responsible AI development. His estimated net worth, derived from OpenAI ownership and investments, is around $45 million as of 2023.
Personal Life and Philosophy
Brockman, married since 2019, resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. A self-taught ML practitioner, he shared his learning journey in a 2018 blog post, inspiring others with free resources. His philosophy centers on AI’s transformative potential to address global challenges like healthcare and climate change, balanced by a commitment to safety and inclusivity. Despite some sources incorrectly stating he was born in Canada or earned a degree, Brockman’s North Dakota roots and dropout status underscore his unconventional path to tech leadership.
Brockman’s contributions have positioned him as a visionary in AI, bridging technical innovation with a mission to ensure AI serves humanity equitably, making him a defining figure in the tech landscape.