I saw something quite interesting circulating about Sam Altman’s declared income, the CEO of OpenAI. According to the latest American tax filings, last year he earned just over $76,000 in official salary, a figure that seems almost laughable considering his role. The year before, it was about $73,000, so practically stagnant.

Here’s where it gets interesting: Altman explained that his salary is tied to the minimum standard Medicare, which is a rather unusual choice. What really stands out, however, is the contrast between these numbers and his net worth, which is estimated to be at least $2 billion. In other words, his Sam Altman net worth is completely disconnected from what he officially reports as annual income.

There’s another interesting dynamic here. Altman has always publicly stated that he does not own shares of OpenAI, but Bloomberg reported that the company has discussed giving him some. So, the real earnings could come from other sources or future equity agreements, not from his formal salary. This is one of those cases where the actual Sam Altman net worth and what appears on paper are two completely different things. These documents are filed annually with the IRS by American nonprofit organizations, so everything is public and verifiable.