Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 23, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleOpenAI CEO Sam Altman has stepped down from Helion Energy’s board to avoid conflicts as the two firms explore a large-scale energy partnership. OpenAI may secure up to 50 GW of fusion-generated electricity by 2035.
March 23 (Reuters) - OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on Monday he has stepped down from the board of directors of Helion Energy, the fusion startup he has backed since 2015, as the companies start to explore working together "at significant scale".
Altman, who is also on the OpenAI board, said the dual roles had become untenable as the ChatGPT maker eyes future partnerships with Helion. In a post on social media platform X, Altman added that he will have a financial interest in Helion and will recuse himself from any deal negotiations.
"Sam has played an integral role in Helion's development... I look forward to working with (Altman) in this new capacity," Helion CEO David Kirtley said in an X post separately.
OpenAI is also in advanced talks to buy electricity from Helion Energy, Axios reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the situation.
Under the terms being discussed, OpenAI could secure a guaranteed portion of Helion's production, initially 12.5%, with talks centering on OpenAI receiving the equivalent of 5 gigawatts by 2030, scaling to 50 gigawatts by 2035, the report added.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on the Axios report. A spokesperson for Helion said: "beyond the previously announced deals with Microsoft and Nucor, Helion has not made any new customer announcements."
A potential deal underscores a broader race among the world's largest technology companies to lock in long-term energy supplies as the explosive growth of artificial intelligence strains power grids.
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have all struck deals with nuclear and fusion companies that would have seemed far-fetched just a few years ago.
Helion was founded in 2013 by Kirtley, along with John Slough, Chris Pihl, and George Votroubek. It has raised over $1 billion in total funding, with a $425 million Series F closed in January 2025 that valued the company at $5.4 billion.
(Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
Sam Altman resigned to avoid conflicts of interest as OpenAI explores a significant partnership with Helion Energy.
OpenAI is in advanced talks to buy electricity from Helion Energy, securing a guaranteed portion of their future energy production.
OpenAI may receive up to 5 gigawatts by 2030 and potentially 50 gigawatts by 2035 if the deal is finalized.
Beyond previously announced deals with Microsoft and Nucor, Helion has not made any new customer announcements.
Tech giants like OpenAI are pursuing long-term energy supplies to meet growing power needs driven by AI and data center expansion.
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