Control timelines side by side
How did the boards, ownership and control of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind and xAI change, read on one time axis?
Each row holds one organisation’s stored records of board changes, ownership changes and control rights, placed by date. The rows share a time axis so that dates can be read across organisations. Records that sit close together on the axis are not connected by that alone: no record here states a relation between the four organisations.
How to read the marks
- Announced, planned or agreed
- The record marks the change as announced, planned or agreed. It does not show that the change took effect.
- In effect or completed
- The record marks the change as in effect, or the transaction as completed, at that date.
- Dated record
- A snapshot (one dated report of a state) or a document’s date. The record does not mark the change as announced or in effect.
- Day, month, year
- A dot is a date to the day. A narrow bar covers the month of a date stored to the month, and a wide band the year of a date stored to the year. Neither is placed on a day.
Select a mark to open its record: the statement, the evidence passage and the source. Marks that sit close together are not connected by that alone. No line is drawn between organisations, because no record here states a relation between them.
2014–2026 on one axis
Year by year
2014
Google DeepMind
No control record in this period: OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI.
2015
OpenAI
No control record in this period: Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2016
No control record in this period: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2017
No control record in this period: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2018
No control record in this period: Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2019
OpenAI
- OpenAI, Inc.’s Form 990 for tax year 2019 lists OpenAI LP (EIN 83-1960637) as a related organisation taxable as a partnership whose direct controlling entity is OpenAI GP LLC, and answers “Yes” to whether the filing organisation is a general or managing partner of it.
- OpenAI, Inc.’s Form 990 for tax year 2019 lists OpenAI GP LLC as a disregarded entity whose direct controlling entity is OpenAI Inc.
- OpenAI published its announcement creating a capped-profit partnership, OpenAI LP.
- OpenAI announced on 11 March 2019 that it was creating OpenAI LP as a hybrid of a for-profit and a nonprofit, which it called a “capped-profit” company. Investors and employees could receive a capped return, with the first round of investors capped at 100 times their investment, and returns beyond the cap would go to OpenAI Nonprofit.
- OpenAI’s March 2019 announcement stated that OpenAI LP is controlled by the board of OpenAI Nonprofit, whose legal name it gave as OpenAI Inc. It also stated that only a minority of board members may hold financial stakes in the partnership at one time, and that only members without such stakes may vote on decisions where the interests of limited partners and the nonprofit’s mission may conflict, including payouts to investors and employees.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Adam D’Angelo as a non-employee member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Greg Brockman as a member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board and as an OpenAI LP employee with the designation Chairman & CTO.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Holden Karnofsky as a non-employee member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Ilya Sutskever as a member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board and as an OpenAI LP employee with the designation Chief Scientist.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Reid Hoffman as a non-employee member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Sam Altman as a member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board and as an OpenAI LP employee with the designation CEO.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Shivon Zilis as a non-employee member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board.
- OpenAI’s OpenAI LP announcement of 11 March 2019 lists Tasha McCauley as a non-employee member of the OpenAI Nonprofit board.
No control record in this period: Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2020
No control record in this period: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2021
OpenAI
Anthropic
- Anthropic, PBC was incorporated as a Delaware public benefit corporation by a certificate of incorporation filed on 26 January 2021, which stated its specific public benefit as responsibly developing and maintaining advanced AI for the cultural, social and technological improvement of humanity.
- Anthropic’s restated certificate of incorporation filed on 24 May 2021 constituted a Long-Term Benefit Committee with the exclusive power to approve or reject candidates for nomination or appointment as directors, except as set out in the stockholders’ Voting Agreement, and required candidates to receive its prior approval, except directors in office in May 2021 and those elected as Series A, Common or CEO Directors under the Voting Agreement.
No control record in this period: Google DeepMind, xAI.
2022
No control record in this period: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, xAI.
2023
OpenAI
- OpenAI, L.P. became OpenAI OpCo, L.L.C. in 2023. In a court disclosure filed on 29 June 2023, OpenAI OpCo stated that OpenAI, L.P. had recently changed its name to OpenAI OpCo, L.L.C.; the UK Competition and Markets Authority states that OpenAI, originally a limited partnership, was re-established in 2023 as OpenAI OpCo, LLC.
- OpenAI’s board announced Sam Altman’s removal as CEO.
- The board of directors of OpenAI, Inc. announced on 17 November 2023 that Sam Altman would depart as CEO and leave the board of directors.
- The same announcement of 17 November 2023 stated that Greg Brockman would step down as chairman of the board and remain in his role at the company, reporting to the CEO.
- Sam Altman announced his return as OpenAI CEO.
- OpenAI announced on 29 November 2023 that Adam D’Angelo would be a member of its new initial board, chaired by Bret Taylor.
- OpenAI announced on 29 November 2023 that Larry Summers would be a member of its new initial board, chaired by Bret Taylor.
- OpenAI’s announcement of 29 November 2023 stated that Ilya Sutskever would no longer serve on the board.
- OpenAI announced on 29 November 2023 that its new initial board would consist of Bret Taylor as chair, Larry Summers and Adam D’Angelo.
Anthropic
- Anthropic announced on 23 May 2023, in its Series C announcement, that Yasmin Razavi, a General Partner at Spark Capital, had joined its board of directors.
- Anthropic’s restated certificates of incorporation since March 2023 give holders of Class T Common Stock, voting as a separate class, the right to elect one director from 6 September 2023, two from the Second Phase-In Date and three of five from the Final Phase-In Date. Anthropic states that the Class T stock is held exclusively by the Long-Term Benefit Trust and gives it authority to elect and remove a number of board members that phases in by time- and funding-based milestones.
- Anthropic published a description of its Long-Term Benefit Trust on 19 September 2023. It said the Trust’s Class T stock would let it elect a number of directors phasing in to a board majority within four years, named five initial Trustees chosen by its board (Jason Matheny, Kanika Bahl, Neil Buddy Shah as chair, Paul Christiano and Zach Robinson), and said that “failsafe” provisions let large enough supermajorities of stockholders change the Trust and its powers without the Trustees’ consent.
- Anthropic's announcement of its Long-Term Benefit Trust on 19 September 2023 names Kanika Bahl, CEO and President of Evidence Action, as an initial Trustee.
- Anthropic's announcement of its Long-Term Benefit Trust on 19 September 2023 names Jason Matheny, CEO of the RAND Corporation, as an initial Trustee.
- Anthropic's announcement of its Long-Term Benefit Trust on 19 September 2023 names Zach Robinson, Interim CEO of Effective Ventures US, as an initial Trustee.
- Anthropic's announcement of its Long-Term Benefit Trust on 19 September 2023 names Neil Buddy Shah, CEO of the Clinton Health Access Initiative, as an initial Trustee and as the Trust's Chair.
- Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust page states, in an undated footnote, that Jason Matheny stepped down from the Trust in December 2023; Anthropic stated that he did so to preempt potential conflicts of interest with RAND Corporation's policy-related initiatives.
Google DeepMind
No control record in this period: xAI.
2024
OpenAI
- The Form 990 for tax year 2024 filed as “OpenAI Foundation fka OpenAI Inc” lists OpenAI Global LLC (with a disregarded single-member LLC) as a related organisation taxable as a partnership whose direct controlling entity is OpenAI GP LLC, and lists OpenAI GP LLC as a disregarded entity whose direct controlling entity is OpenAI Foundation.
- OpenAI, Inc. reports on its Form 990 for tax year 2024 that it is a corporation exempt under section 501(c)(3), formed in 2015, with Delaware as its state of legal domicile. The return is filed under the name “OpenAI Foundation fka OpenAI Inc”, and its Schedule O states that OpenAI Inc. changed its name to OpenAI Foundation as of 28 October 2025.
- OpenAI announced on 8 March 2024 that Sam Altman, as CEO, would rejoin the OpenAI board of directors.
- OpenAI announced on 8 March 2024 that Fidji Simo, CEO and Chair of Instacart, was one of three new members of its board of directors.
- OpenAI announced on 8 March 2024 that Nicole Seligman, former EVP and General Counsel at Sony Corporation, was one of three new members of its board of directors.
- OpenAI announced on 8 March 2024 that Sue Desmond-Hellmann was one of three new members of its board of directors.
- OpenAI announced on 13 June 2024 that Paul M. Nakasone had joined its board of directors.
- OpenAI announced on 8 August 2024 the appointment of Zico Kolter to its board of directors.
- OpenAI published “Why OpenAI’s structure must evolve to advance our mission” on 27 December 2024. It said its board was evaluating the corporate structure and described a plan to transform its existing for-profit into a Delaware public benefit corporation that would run and control OpenAI’s operations and business, while the nonprofit would hire a leadership team and staff to pursue charitable initiatives.
Anthropic
- Compared with the certificate filed on 21 September 2023, the certificate filed on 29 January 2024 moves the funding-based Class T phase-in triggers from the board’s determination itself to four months (second phase) and eight months (final phase) after the board determines that $5 billion or $6 billion has been raised. The outside dates of 24 May 2026 and 24 May 2027 are unchanged.
- Paul Christiano was named by Anthropic on 19 September 2023 as one of the five initial Trustees of its Long-Term Benefit Trust; Anthropic’s page later states that he stepped down in April 2024 to take a role as Head of AI Safety at the U.S. AI Safety Institute.
- Anthropic announced on 29 May 2024 that Jay Kreps had joined its board of directors and that he was appointed by its Long-Term Benefit Trust.
- Anthropic announced on 29 May 2024 that Luke Muehlhauser had decided to step down from its board of directors; Anthropic stated that he would focus on his work at Open Philanthropy.
- Anthropic’s announcement of 29 May 2024 refers to Luke Muehlhauser’s Board role, from which he had decided to step down.
No control record in this period: Google DeepMind, xAI.
2025
OpenAI
- OpenAI announced on 14 January 2025 that Adebayo Ogunlesi had joined its board of directors.
- The UK Competition and Markets Authority states that under the 2023 LLC Agreement the strategic direction, management and day-to-day operation of OpenAI OpCo LLC are controlled by OpenAI GP LLC as its Manager, which is in turn wholly owned and controlled by OpenAI Nonprofit, and that members’ voting rights are restricted to matters related to typical financial investor protections.
- OpenAI published a plan to convert its for-profit LLC into a public benefit corporation under nonprofit control.
- OpenAI announced on 5 May 2025 that its board had decided that the nonprofit would retain control of OpenAI, and that its for-profit LLC would transition to a public benefit corporation that the nonprofit would control and in which it would be a large shareholder.
- OpenAI published its account of a completed recapitalization, with OpenAI Foundation controlling OpenAI Group PBC.
- The Delaware Department of Justice issued a letter to OpenAI, Inc. dated 28 October 2025 setting out the conditions under which the Attorney General would not object to OpenAI, Inc.’s recapitalization, which it describes as restructuring a for-profit limited liability company into a newly formed public benefit corporation, with the nonprofit retaining control of it in accordance with OpenAI’s representations.
- OpenAI states that the OpenAI Foundation, through special voting and governance rights held solely by it, appoints all members of OpenAI Group’s board and can replace directors at any time. The rights are those of the Class N Common Stock in the certificate of incorporation filed on 28 October 2025, which makes them depend on that stock being held, directly or indirectly, by OpenAI Foundation.
- Under Section IV.2(c) of OpenAI Group PBC’s certificate of incorporation filed on 28 October 2025, the holder of the Class N Common Stock, while it is OpenAI Foundation, must give prior written approval before the corporation amends its public-benefit article, enters into a deemed liquidation event or material asset sale, issues more Class N stock or other director-voting stock, or modifies the certificate or bylaws to the Class N holder’s disadvantage.
- Under Section V.3 of OpenAI Group PBC’s certificate of incorporation filed on 28 October 2025, the holder of the Class N Common Stock may remove directors with or without cause while any Class N shares are outstanding; OpenAI states that the OpenAI Foundation holds these rights and can replace directors at any time.
- OpenAI Group PBC was incorporated as a Delaware public benefit corporation. Its certificate of incorporation carries the Delaware Division of Corporations filing stamp of 28 October 2025, 08:07 AM (file number 10381551).
Anthropic
- Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust announced on 7 June 2025 the appointment of Richard Fontaine, CEO of the Center for a New American Security, as a member of the Trust; Anthropic's Trust page states that he joined in May 2025.
- Anthropic announced on 28 May 2025 that Reed Hastings had been appointed to its board of directors by its Long-Term Benefit Trust.
- Anthropic’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation filed on 3 July 2025, the latest inspected, states its specific public benefit as responsibly developing and maintaining advanced AI for the long term benefit of humanity. The same wording is in Article III of the restated certificate filed on 24 May 2021.
- Under Anthropic’s restated certificate filed on 3 July 2025, while any Class T Common Stock is outstanding the company may not, without the consent or vote of all Class T holders as a separate class, amend the Class T provisions or the phase-in definitions, alter the certificate so that the board’s legal powers are exercised by another person or body, or change the number of directors except to add seats at least half of which Class T holders elect. Acts without that consent are declared void.
- The restated certificate filed on 3 July 2025 provides that any director elected under Article VIII(B) may be removed at any time without cause by the holders of the class or series of stock entitled to elect that director, so the holders of Class T Common Stock, which Anthropic states is held by the Long-Term Benefit Trust, may remove the Class T Directors.
No control record in this period: Google DeepMind.
2026
OpenAI
- OpenAI announced on 21 July 2026 the appointment of David Vélez to the board of the OpenAI Foundation.
- OpenAI announced on 21 July 2026 the appointment of David Vélez to the board of the OpenAI Group PBC.
- OpenAI announced on 21 July 2026 the appointment of Robin Vince to the board of the OpenAI Foundation.
- OpenAI announced on 21 July 2026 the appointment of Robin Vince to the board of the OpenAI Group PBC.
- OpenAI’s announcement of 21 July 2026 identifies Bret Taylor as Chair of the OpenAI Foundation and OpenAI Group PBC boards.
- OpenAI announced on 9 September 2026 the appointment of Paul Christiano to the OpenAI Foundation board. It said he would be a non-voting observer on the OpenAI Group PBC board and would join the Foundation board’s Safety and Security Committee.
- OpenAI’s structure page, as retrieved on 15 October 2026, states that Zico Kolter will serve as a non-voting observer to the OpenAI Group board.
Anthropic
- Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust page states, in an undated footnote, that Kanika Bahl stepped down from the Trust in January 2026; Anthropic stated that she did so to begin a new nonprofit, the AI Access Initiative.
- Anthropic's Trust page and its announcement of 4 August 2026 state that Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joined its Long-Term Benefit Trust in January 2026.
- Anthropic's Long-Term Benefit Trust page states, in an undated footnote, that Zach Robinson stepped down from the Trust in January 2026; Anthropic stated that he did so to focus on non-profit and philanthropic work.
- Anthropic announced on 13 February 2026 that Chris Liddell had been appointed to its board of directors.
- Anthropic announced on 14 April 2026 that the Long-Term Benefit Trust had appointed Vas Narasimhan to its board of directors and that, with this appointment, Trust-appointed directors made up a majority of the board.
- Anthropic announced on 9 July 2026 that its Long-Term Benefit Trust had appointed Ben Bernanke, a Distinguished Fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Chair of the Federal Reserve, as a Trustee.
- Anthropic's announcement of 9 July 2026 identifies Neil Buddy Shah as Chair of its Long-Term Benefit Trust.
- Anthropic announced on 4 August 2026 that Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar had stepped down from its Long-Term Benefit Trust; Anthropic stated that he did so to join the company.
- Anthropic's Leadership page, as retrieved on 15 October 2026, states that co-founder and President Daniela Amodei serves as chair of its board of directors.
xAI
- xAI announced that SpaceX had acquired xAI.
- Elon Musk wrote on 6 May 2026 that xAI would be dissolved as a separate company and continue as SpaceXAI, the AI products from SpaceX.
- An X post of 6 July 2026, made from the account that as retrieved displays as SpaceX Super Intelligence (@SpaceXSI), states that the account is now @spacexai.
No control record in this period: Google DeepMind.
Undated records
Every record shown has a stored date, so none is listed here. A record without a date would be listed here, not placed on the axis.
Where each row comes from
- OpenAI. The records of OpenAI’s control structure, 2015–2026 →, without its provisions and assessments.
- Anthropic. The records of Anthropic’s control structure, 2021–2026 →, without its provisions and assessments.
- Google DeepMind. Google DeepMind has no control-structure page. Its row holds the stored records of Google’s acquisition of DeepMind and of the 2023 combination that formed Google DeepMind. No board record for Google DeepMind is stored.
- xAI. xAI has no control-structure page. Its row holds the stored records of acquisitions, combination and renaming that involve xAI. No board record for xAI is stored.
- Funding rounds and equity stakes are not shown. They are not control rights, and the control-structure pages do not include them.
- A record is placed at the date it stores, at the precision it stores. A year or a month is drawn as a band across that year or month, never as a day.
- Roles and departures of staff who did not sit on a board or trust are not shown.