Slaves of praise

Author

Profit Monk
April 29, 2025

“no matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.” ― Carol Dweck

Sam Altman's Strategic Investment Portfolio

With $40B in fresh capital, OpenAI appears poised for acquisitions focusing on infrastructure development and revenue-generating applications. Recent investments through Altman's Alt Capital include AirOps (AI application platform) and CrewAI (AI agent management), while Exowatt represents a foray into renewable energy solutions.

Source: CB Insights

Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, has strategically aligned his personal investments with OpenAI's business direction, creating a powerful ecosystem of interconnected AI companies. His portfolio includes Humane's wearable AI Pin (powered by ChatGPT), Slope and Warp (both leveraging OpenAI models), and Rain (which received a $51M commitment from OpenAI for AI chips). Language learning app Speak, another Altman investment, subsequently raised funds from OpenAI's Startup Fund, deepening its integration with OpenAI technology.

Beyond AI, Altman has made significant bets in energy and longevity, including a $375M investment in nuclear fusion startup Helion (which later secured an electricity purchase agreement with Microsoft) and $180M in anti-aging startup Retro Biosciences, focused on extending lifespans through cellular reprogramming.

His notable exits include Codecademy ($525M acquisition), Instacart (IPO), and Cruise (GM acquisition). Additionally, Altman has orchestrated three SPACs, including AltC Acquisition Corp.'s planned merger with nuclear startup Oklo.

Why It Matters

These investment patterns reveal Altman's & open AI’s strategic vision goes beyond foundational models.

The real money in AI would be made at the intersection of multiple transformative industries poised to reshape our technological landscape.

Current holdings - for the quarter

If you had to own one stock today - we would say own NVDA

If you had to own 3 stocks today - we would say own - NVDA, COST, AVGO

If you had to own 5 stocks today - we would say own - NVDA, COST, AVGO, META and LLY

Not investment advice

“If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence.”

Carol Dweck

PS: If you want to read more of Carol Dweck - Read this

Here is a perspective on how minor some of our concerns are - on just the known scale of time.

The oldest known rock in the US is 3.6 Billion years old 

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Recipes - just the right medium rare - Right here