# Former OpenAI board member Helen Toner shed new light on just how close the company came to a shotgun merger with arch-rival Anthropic.

*genai · news · 2026-05-07 · New York Post*

## Key points

- Helen Toner revealed OpenAI considered merging with Anthropic after Sam Altman’s firing in 2023.
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei would have taken over OpenAI in the proposed merger.
- Mira Murati was expected to stabilize OpenAI but refused to serve as interim CEO during the crisis.
- Tasha McCauley testified that Sam Altman lied about legal department safety review requirements for ChatGPT.
- Rosie Campbell stated OpenAI disbanded its top AI safety teams as it shifted from its non-profit mission.

**Companies:** OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/05/07/business/former-openai-board-members-describe-extremely-risky-near-merger-with-anthropic/)

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