Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, played a pivotal role in the removal of Sam Altman in November 2023, according to trial evidence in the Musk v. Altman case. Murati, now founder of Thinking Machines Lab, was instrumental in the coup against Altman, initially advocating for his dismissal and later supporting his return. The conflict traces back to a September 2022 document where Murati criticized Altman's management style and revenue-focused priorities. Murati provided OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever with internal documents highlighting Altman's management issues, which contributed to the board's decision to dismiss him. Despite her role in the coup, Murati later sought external support for Altman's reinstatement, leading a petition signed by 750 employees. Her actions during the coup were described as self-serving, as she initially pushed for Altman's removal but later refused to publicly support the board's decision, ultimately advocating for his return.