OpenAI Turmoil Hits Worldcoin: Altman’s Reputation Crisis Triggers a WLD Price Drop

Gate News message: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, comparing him to SBF and Bernie Madoff in a New Yorker investigative article, has triggered a trust crisis. The price of Worldcoin (WLD) promptly fell 2.9% to $0.2432, down more than 10% over the past seven days.

The article is based on interviews with more than 100 people and points out that Altman exhibits extreme contradictory behavior, balancing between trying to please others and disregarding the consequences of deception. Several Microsoft executives also accused him of misrepresenting the terms of agreements and violating transactions.

In addition, Katie Miller said on social media that key figures around Altman, including Elon Musk and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, have publicly questioned his integrity, and Musk even said Altman is “not fit to run superintelligence.” This reputation crisis has further heightened investors’ concerns about Worldcoin.

On corporate governance, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar previously reminded the company that it is not yet ready for a 2026 IPO, and that slowing revenue growth may not be able to support server spending exceeding $600B by 2030. Starting in August 2025, Friar no longer reports directly to Altman, prompting market questions about financial transparency and the governance structure.

For Worldcoin, its current market value is about $790 million. On July 23, a large-scale “cliff-style” unlock will take place, releasing 52.5% of the total supply, further intensifying supply pressure. Investors’ confidence is being hit by both founder risk and token dilution, and the price has moved close to historic lows, which may weigh on it in the near term.

The incident shows that founders’ credibility has a direct impact on the market performance of crypto projects. WLD holders should closely monitor OpenAI governance developments and the upcoming token unlocks to assess price volatility and investment risk.