In this episode of Beyond the Billions, Forbes Deputy Editor Giacomo Tognini speaks with Senior Writer Richard Nieva to break down his interview with Sam Altman. Nieva takes viewers inside the private office where the OpenAI CEO keeps a collection of dangerous history—including a literal stick of uranium—and explores Altman’s dramatic rise, his forced exit from Y Combinator, and the “bad blood” with former co-founder Elon Musk. We get insights from the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, a glimpse into the future with Altman’s collaboration with Apple legend Jony Ive on a “friendly” AI hardware device, and the most shocking reveal: Altman’s ultimate exit strategy is to hand over the company’s management to an AI model. It is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the contradictions of a soft-spoken leader raising trillions to reshape humanity’s history.
00:00 This Week In Billionaires…
02:37 Inside Sam Altman’s Office
05:20 The Man Controlling The Future Of AI
09:22 How Altman Took Over Silicon Valley
13:37 The Elon Musk Lawsuit
20:13 OpenAI’s Secret New Device Collaboration With Jony Ive
22:35 How Far Will AI Go According to Altman
Read about all the Forbes stories mentioned: https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnieva/2026/02/03/sam-altman-explains-the-future/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardnieva/2026/02/04/sam-altman-on-elon-musk-donald-trump-robotics-fatherhood-and-more/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2026/02/09/the-seahawks-are-super-bowl-champs-but-their-owner-cant-profit-from-the-big-win/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/giacomotognini/2026/02/04/how-jeffrey-epstein-got-so-ri[…]-billionaire-clients-mortimer-zuckerman-ariane-de-rothschild/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/luisakroll/2026/02/09/how-melinda-french-gates-plans-to[…]ally-unconscionably-underfunded-programs-for-women-and-girls/
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