Here’s a spicy thought for the day: in some alternate universe, I could’ve written a glowing hagiography of Sam Altman.

Ah, yes, the enigma of corporate leadership: liar, conflict-averse, and somehow the captain of a wildly successful ship. How does that even work? Maybe they think I don’t know, or maybe they don’t think I know that they think I don’t know. Either way, the sheer capacity to lie is almost... psychotic. It’s like watching a magician pull rabbits out of hats—only the hats are on fire, and the rabbits are made of pure deception.

Here’s a spicy thought for the day: in some alternate universe, I could’ve written a glowing hagiography of Sam Altman. You know, one of those sickly sweet, hero-worshipping biographies where the visionary leader can do no wrong. Think Elon Musk, Steve Jobs—pick your tech deity. Those books fly off the shelves, and the cash rolls in like a tidal wave of success. So why didn’t I do that? Why didn’t I take the easy route, rake in the dough, and call it a day?

Well, let’s just say "easy" isn’t always as simple as it sounds. I interviewed over 260 people, conducted 300 interviews, and spoke to 150 individuals who either worked with Sam or knew him well. What emerged wasn’t a one-dimensional portrait of a tech messiah but a kaleidoscope of contradictions, quirks, and, yes, lies. Two things stood out repeatedly: first, no matter how closely someone worked with him, they’d always say, “At the end of the day, I don’t know what Sam believes.” Intriguing, right? The man’s an enigma wrapped in a mystery, sprinkled with a dash of "wait, what?"

Second, when I’d ask what he claimed to believe during specific meetings or decisions, the answer was always some variation of “he said whatever needed saying to get X, Y, or Z done.” It’s like trying to pin down a cloud of smoke—good luck figuring out what it’s really made of. So, no, I didn’t take the “easy” route because the facts simply didn’t fit into a neat little box of hero worship. And honestly? The messiness is way more fun.