March 23 - OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said he has stepped down from the board of Helion Energy, the fusion startup he has backed since 2015, as the two organizations begin exploring a potential partnership at what Altman described as "significant scale." Altman, who remains on OpenAI's board, said his simultaneous roles had become untenable as the ChatGPT maker contemplates future commercial arrangements with Helion.
In a post on social media platform X, Altman said he will continue to hold a financial interest in Helion but that he will recuse himself from any negotiations between the companies.
Helion's chief executive, David Kirtley, offered a public response on X, saying, "Sam has played an integral role in Helion’s development... I look forward to working with (Altman) in this new capacity."
Separately, Axios reported that OpenAI is in advanced talks to purchase electricity from Helion Energy. According to that report, the discussions include provisions under which OpenAI could secure a guaranteed portion of Helion's production - initially 12.5% - with targets described as the equivalent of 5 gigawatts by 2030, scaling to 50 gigawatts by 2035.
OpenAI did not immediately provide a comment responding to the Axios account. A Helion spokesperson said that "beyond the previously announced deals with Microsoft and Nucor, Helion has not made any new customer announcements."
The potential agreement has been framed in reporting as part of a wider push by major technology companies to lock in long-term energy supplies, driven in part by the surging power demands of artificial intelligence workloads. The story notes that Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all negotiated arrangements with nuclear and fusion companies to secure energy for expanding AI operations.
Founded in 2013 by David Kirtley along with John Slough, Chris Pihl, and George Votroubek, Helion has raised over $1 billion in funding to date. The company closed a $425 million Series F round in January 2025 that valued the firm at $5.4 billion.
Context and implications
The move by Altman to resign from Helion’s board while retaining an economic interest and recusing himself from talks reflects a governance response to the overlap between a high-profile AI company and an energy technology supplier. Reported procurement targets discussed between the companies, if realized, would represent a substantial long-term power commitment tied to Helion’s projected output over the coming decade.
Helion’s announcement that it has not publicly added customers beyond those disclosed with Microsoft and Nucor highlights that any commercial arrangement with OpenAI remains subject to confirmation and further negotiation.
Quotes
From Altman on X: he will have a financial interest in Helion and will recuse himself from deal negotiations.
From Helion CEO David Kirtley on X: "Sam has played an integral role in Helion’s development... I look forward to working with (Altman) in this new capacity."