OpenAI CEO Sam Altman may be known for advancing AI at lightning speed, but his kitchen skills just sparked a mini-crisis—at least among olive oil fans. In a recent Financial Times “Lunch with the FT” feature, Altman whipped up a garlicky pasta and salad. But while tossing ingredients in the pan, he made a move that some would call sacrilegious: he used the wrong kind of olive oil.
Now, Altman’s choice of Graza olive oil isn’t the problem. It’s a trendy, social media-loved brand packaged in vibrant squeeze bottles. Very millennial. The issue? He used Graza’s Drizzle, a delicate finishing oil meant to be added after cooking—for sautéing garlic, even though the company clearly labels another version, Sizzle, for that exact purpose.
It’s a classic case of “read the label.” The Drizzle oil is pricier for a reason—made to shine on salads or pasta after it’s off the heat. Sautéing with it is like torching a scoop of truffle butter or boiling down fresh basil. Painful to watch. And the worst part? The proper oil was sitting just inches away.
An Overcooked Metaphor for OpenAI’s Spending Habits?
While Altman’s olive oil choice is amusing, it also feels oddly symbolic of his day job. OpenAI, under his leadership, raised a staggering $40 billion this year, yet reportedly lost $5 billion last year. That includes losing money on even its top-tier $200/month ChatGPT Pro subscriptions.
It’s the kind of high-burn strategy that Silicon Valley is known for: raise big, spend fast, figure out profits later. So yes, frying with finishing oil might seem like a harmless kitchen blunder, but to the internet, it smelled a lot like a metaphor.
Because if you’re the kind of founder who casually scorches gourmet oil in the pan, maybe you’re also the kind who burns venture capital with the same carefree energy.
