On March 23, 2026, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced his resignation from the board of directors of nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy. He stated that as Helion and OpenAI began exploring large-scale collaboration, it would be difficult for him to serve as a director for both companies simultaneously. Altman will retain his shares in Helion and recuse himself from related negotiations. According to sources familiar with the matter, OpenAI may secure a guaranteed quota for a portion of Helion's fusion energy output, initially set at 12.5%, with negotiations focused on obtaining 5 gigawatts of electricity by 2030 and expanding to 50 gigawatts by 2035.
