San Francisco-based OpenAI has revealed a breakthrough in the recent corporate turmoil, announcing a tentative agreement to reinstate Sam Altman as the Chief Executive Officer. The announcement comes in the aftermath of Altman’s unexpected dismissal last Friday, which triggered a wave of discontent among nearly all 750 members of OpenAI’s workforce. In response, the majority of the staff had threatened to resign unless Altman was reinstated, with subsequent expectations for an immediate board reshuffle.

The newly proposed board, led by Bret Taylor, former co-CEO of Salesforce, will also include notable figures such as Larry Summers, the former US treasury secretary, and Adam D’Angelo, a current board member who played a role in Altman’s initial removal.

OpenAI took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to communicate the development: “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.”

Altman, expressing his anticipation for the return, stated, “I love OpenAI, and everything I’ve done over the past few days has been in service of keeping this team and its mission together. I’m looking forward to returning to OpenAI.”

The firing of Altman by the non-profit parent board overseeing OpenAI’s commercial subsidiary had triggered a demand for the removal of the board and a governance overhaul as conditions for Altman’s return. Microsoft, OpenAI’s major investor, actively supported Altman’s reinstatement, as evidenced by the recent hiring of Altman and OpenAI’s president, Greg Brockman.

In response to the changes in the OpenAI board, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, tweeted, “We are encouraged by the changes to the OpenAI board. We believe this is a first essential step on a path to more stable, well-informed, and effective governance.”

OpenAI staff were informed on Monday about ongoing discussions to bring Altman back, with Anna Makanju, vice-president of global affairs, stating in a memo seen by Bloomberg News, “We are continuing to go over mutually acceptable options, and are scheduled to speak again tomorrow morning when everyone’s had a little more sleep.”

If Altman’s return is formalized, he would become OpenAI’s fourth CEO in just five days. An interim CEO, Mira Murati, and a temporary successor, Emmet Shear, were appointed in the interim. Reports indicate that OpenAI plans to conduct an independent investigation into Altman’s termination and its aftermath.

Altman, ousted for a lack of “candor in his communications,” according to the board, had emphasized that his removal was not linked to safety concerns in AI development, countering wider fears expressed by experts about the rapid pace of AI advancement.”