• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind

3

An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948

1

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers

2

College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind

3

An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
FinanceOpenAI

Exclusive: Sam Altman quietly got $75M from the University of Michigan for a new venture capital fund earlier this year

By
Jessica Mathews
Jessica Mathews
Former Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jessica Mathews
Jessica Mathews
Former Senior Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 19, 2023, 5:11 PM ET
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
Sam Altman, the CEO of one of the hottest AI companies around, has been fundraising outside his day job.Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Just a few months after the artificial-intelligence-powered chatbot ChatGPT went live, the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, filed disclosure materials for a new venture capital fund.

That fund, his venture firm Hydrazine Capital’s fourth fund, was launched in March, and sometime before the end of June got a check from one of Silicon Valley’s more noteworthy limited partners, the University of Michigan’s $17.9 billion endowment, which has also invested directly in OpenAI and in OpenAI’s corporate venture fund, according to public filings and documents obtained by Fortune via a Freedom of Information Act request. That check is the second investment the University of Michigan has made into Altman’s venture capital firm.

The documents are notable for two reasons. First, they offer the first confirmation that Altman’s personal venture firm is investing institutional capital in addition to his own or that of his brothers and friends. Second, they go to show that the CEO of one of the hottest AI companies around has been fundraising outside his day job.

“We have a longstanding relationship with Sam and Hydrazine IV. Hydrazine IV is a small fund in which the University of Michigan is the only outside investor, and this is an extension of our ongoing investment strategies,” Dan Feder, senior managing director of investments at the University of Michigan’s endowment, told Fortune. It’s unclear the fund’s exact size or focus. Feder, OpenAI, Altman, and Hydrazine declined to share more details of the fund or didn’t respond to requests for comment. 

In a statement to Fortune, an OpenAI spokeswoman said that Altman “is fully focused on his role as CEO of OpenAI and spends only a small fraction of his time investing. He maintains transparency with the board about his occasional investments and adheres to a process for managing potential conflicts of interest.”

The University of Michigan, which over the years has collectively invested billions into funds including those managed by Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, General Catalyst, and Y Combinator, has written two of its largest-ever venture capital fund checks into Hydrazine funds: a $105 million check into Hydrazine’s second fund and, most recently, the $75 million into Hydrazine’s fourth fund, according to a list of all the endowment’s venture capital fund investments that was provided to Fortune. The endowment has also invested $18.7 million in an investment vehicle called Apollo Projects that Altman and his brothers set up a few years ago, records show. Altman is listed as director on all of the Hydrazine funds’ disclosure documents.

Comparatively, the endowment has written a $62 million check into General Catalyst Group IX, a nearly $1.4 billion fund, according to endowment records; a $50 million check into 8VC Fund V, a $880 million fund; and a $15.3 million check into Andreessen Horowitz Fund V, a $1.5 billion fund. A review of the endowment’s venture capital investment history found that the endowment rarely writes individual checks over $50 million to individual venture capital funds, although it has done so a handful of times to firms including Y Combinator, Chengwei Evergreen Capital, and Eclipse Ventures.

Altman’s individual venture investments surfaced as an item of speculation last month amid Altman’s sudden termination, then later reinstatement, at OpenAI in November. Initially, OpenAI’s board claimed that Altman “was not consistently candid” with the board.

Altman this summer addressed his personal investing in an interview with The Information, saying he is mindful of conflicts of interest that may arise from his investments. “Generally, I think the approach to conflict of interest is just avoid things that are directly an issue with the company you’re running and disclose everything,” Altman said at the time.

Altman, a former president of Silicon Valley incubator Y Combinator before he started running OpenAI full-time, has been an investor for a long time. He set up Hydrazine Capital in 2012 with his brother and the cofounder and CEO of Lattice, Jack Altman, though it’s unclear whether Jack Altman is still an investor. Partner Ryan Cohen is also an investor at Hydrazine and Apollo Projects, according to LinkedIn. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Do you have an insight to share? Got a tip? Contact Jessica Mathews at jessica.mathews@fortune.com or through the secure messaging app Signal at 479-715-9553.

Clarification, Dec. 19, 2023: An earlier version of this story referred to registration materials, rather than disclosure materials.

About the Author
By Jessica MathewsFormer Senior Writer
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jessica Mathews is a former senior writer for Fortune, where she covered transportation, defense tech, and Elon Musk’s companies.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

Elon Musk’s vision of a post-money future got mocked. Vinod Khosla warns it could become a dystopia instead
AIthe future of work
Elon Musk’s vision of a post-money future got mocked. Vinod Khosla warns it could become a dystopia instead
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 hours ago
People at dinner table paying the bill
Personal FinanceVisa
About half of Gen Z owe their friends more than $1,000, while nearly another half goes into debt to cover group expenses they expect to be repaid
By Catherina GioinoJuly 27, 2026
2 hours ago
magic
RetailMillennials
What Magic: The Gathering’s record year reveals about America’s stalled adulthood economy
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Steve Witkoff walks in front of a car dressed in suit and tie with his phone in his hand and his jacket draped over his arm.
CryptoDonald Trump
A VC says he declined to join the Trump family’s crypto venture after cofounder Steve Witkoff couldn’t pronounce ‘memecoin’
By Camila Grigera NaónJuly 27, 2026
3 hours ago
guano
Energyfertilizer
The Strait of Hormuz isn’t fertilizer’s first starring role — an 1856 law still defines U.S. overseas territory
By Edward D. Melillo and The ConversationJuly 27, 2026
5 hours ago
Photo of Tobias Lütke
C-SuiteTaxes
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
Retail
New York City women are making up to $30,000 per month by renting out their closets to strangers
By Sarah GlodekJuly 27, 2026
15 hours ago
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
Economy
College-educated women are snapping up the highest-earning men without college degrees, leaving the rest further behind
By Mia OsmonbekovJuly 26, 2026
1 day ago
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
Success
An 11-year-old is cleaning his neighbors' trash cans for $10 each—he now has 100K followers as teens face the worst summer job market since 1948
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 25, 2026
3 days ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
2 days ago
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
Commentary
I've been teaching college students for decades. Most of them can no longer finish a book
By Austin SaratJuly 26, 2026
2 days ago
One-third of Seattle's downtown is empty: Here's how America's boomtown turned into one of the toughest places to find a job
Real Estate
One-third of Seattle's downtown is empty: Here's how America's boomtown turned into one of the toughest places to find a job
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
14 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.