Sam Altman was fired, according to an internal memo, not because of “malfeasance” or OpenAI safety procedures.

Since Altman was unexpectedly fired as CEO on Friday and removed from the company’s board of directors, speculation has been nonstop. OpenAI itself has provided little specific information. The board only stated that he was n’t” consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities” in its announcement of the decision. The chief technology officer of OpenAI, Mira Murati, was appointed interim CEO by the board.

Greg Brockman, the current president of OpenAI, responded by tweeting,” Sam and I are shocked and saddened by what the board did today,” announcing his own resignation. Later, three senior researchers also announced their resignations, according to The Information. Altman already has a “new venture” in the works, according to sources in another report, and he intends to take Brockman and possibly other people along with him. If this project is distinct from Altman’s other well-known upcoming initiatives, such as a rumored partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive, it is still unclear.

The rapid development of the company’s AI products and, according to journalist Kara Swisher, its “profit driven direction,” have been the subject of numerous reports in the aftermath that have made an effort to explain why Altman was fired. The announcement” took us all by surprise,” according to Lightcap’s memo from Saturday, per Axios, and” we have had numerous conversations with the board to try to better understand the reasons and process behind their decision.”

The sudden shakeup could now have ramifications for the impending sale of OpenAI’s employee shares, valued at roughly $86 billion, The Information reported. In a cryptic tweet on Saturday, Altman quipped, “The Openai Board should pursue me for the full value of my shares if I start acting inappropriately. (sic).”