Sam Altman Seeks Dismissal Of Punitive Damages In Lawsuit
Sam Altman has moved to dismiss claims for punitive damages in a civil lawsuit filed by his sister, who has accused him of repeated sexual abuse more than two decades ago. He has denied all allegations.
In a filing submitted on Wednesday night to a federal court in St. Louis, Altman argued that Missouri’s statute governing child sexual abuse does not permit punitive damages in such cases. Instead, he stated that the law limits recovery to damages linked directly to injury or illness resulting from alleged abuse.
Furthermore, Altman contended that punitive damages cannot apply to actions he is accused of committing while he was a minor. On that basis, he renewed his request for the court to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety.
Lawyers representing his sister did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment made outside of standard business hours.
Allegations Span Nearly A Decade
According to the complaint, Altman’s sister alleged that the abuse occurred between 1997 and 2006 at their family home in suburban Missouri. She claimed that the incidents began when she was three years old and Altman was 12.
She further stated that the alleged abuse continued into his adulthood, describing what she characterised as the final instances of sexual misconduct. Altman is currently 40 years old.
In response, the Altman family has said that she has faced ongoing mental health challenges and has previously received financial support. Altman also claimed that the accusations surfaced on social media after the family declined what he described as escalating financial demands.
Countersuit And Broader Legal Context
The lawsuit was initially filed in January 2025. Since then, Altman has filed a countersuit against his sister, alleging defamation over her public statements, including a video in which she accused “an almost tech billionaire” of abuse.
He is seeking nominal damages of one dollar, stating that his aim is not financial harm but a legal determination that the claims made against him are false.
Meanwhile, Altman remains involved in a separate high-profile legal dispute. He faces a scheduled trial later in April in a case brought by a fellow billionaire, who has accused his company of deviating from its founding mission and engaging in fraudulent conduct related to financial contributions.
This combination of legal challenges places Altman under increasing scrutiny as proceedings in both matters continue.
With inputs from Reuters