ST. LOUIS — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman filed a motion on Wednesday seeking dismissal of punitive damages claims in a civil lawsuit brought by his sister Annie Altman accusing him of repeated sexual abuse more than two decades ago, court records show.
In the filing in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Altman argued that Missouri’s childhood sexual abuse statute does not authorize punitive damages for the claims and limits recovery to damages for injury or illness. He also renewed his request to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety and noted that he was a minor at the time of the alleged conduct. Altman has denied the accusations.
Annie Altman amended her complaint on April 1 under Missouri’s childhood sexual abuse statute after U.S. District Judge Zachary Bluestone dismissed her original sexual assault and battery claims in March, ruling they had expired under standard time limits. The judge allowed her to pursue the case under the specific statute, which provides an extended period for certain claims of childhood abuse.
The lawsuit alleges that Sam Altman sexually abused and raped Annie Altman multiple times between 1997 and 2006 at the family home in suburban Clayton, Missouri. The abuse allegedly began when she was 3 years old and he was 12. Sam Altman, now 40, has previously described the allegations as “utterly untrue.”
Sam Altman has filed a countersuit against his sister for defamation, seeking nominal damages. He has contended that the claims arose after the family rejected her requests for additional financial support.
Lawyers for Annie Altman did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours on Wednesday.
The case stems from a complaint originally filed in January 2025. The Altman family has previously acknowledged in court filings that Annie Altman has faced mental health challenges.
As of Thursday, no ruling had been issued on the latest motion. The court has not set a schedule for further proceedings on the punitive damages issue or the overall case.
