Sam Altman to step down as chairman of modular reactor developer Oklo

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to step down as chairman of the board of directors of Oklo, a startup that specializes in developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), according to Datacenter Dynamics.

Oklo is designing the SMR Aurora Powerhouse on fast neutrons. The capacity of such installations will be able to reach 75 MW. It is expected that the reactors will be in demand primarily among operators of large data centers and hyperscalers, who are threatened by a shortage of energy resources against the backdrop of the rapid development of AI.

Altman has served as Oklo’s chairman since 2015. Upon his departure, CEO and co-founder Jake DeWitte will assume that role. Altman says the time is right for him to step down. Oklo is actively exploring strategic partnerships to deploy reactors at scale, particularly to power data center AI. Under DeWitte’s leadership, the startup is expected to realize its full potential.

Image source: OpenAI

«“We deeply value Sam’s leadership and dedication to our mission. We will continue to work to advance clean energy in the AI ​​sector and beyond, and will continue to pursue strategic partnerships with leading AI companies, including OpenAI,” said Caroline Cochran, co-founder and COO of Oklo.

Oklo has already received orders for SMR supplies with a total capacity of over 14 GW. At the end of 2024, the startup entered into a non-binding agreement to supply 12 GW to data center operator Switch. In addition, a 500 MW contract was signed with Equinix, a PPA with Prometheus Hyperscale for 100 MW, and partnerships with two unnamed data center operators for 750 MW were signed.