OpenAI CEO Sam Altman refutes sexual abuse accusations leveled against him by his sister in a legal action.

• In a lawsuit in Missouri, Ann Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, claimed years of sexual abuse against her brother.
• Sam Altman refuted the allegations, stating on X that they are "completely false."
• For years, Ann Altman has publicly accused others, but this is the first time those accusations have resulted in a lawsuit.

On Monday, Ann Altman, the sister of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, filed a lawsuit accusing her brother of regularly sexually abusing her from 1997 to 2006.

In the Eastern District of Missouri, a lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court, accusing the abuse that took place at the family's home in Clayton, Missouri. The lawsuit alleges that the abuse began when Annie was three and Sam was 12 years old. The filing claims that the abusive activities occurred "several times per week," starting with oral sex and later involving penetration.

The lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff has been severely emotionally distressed, mentally anguished, and depressed due to the sexual assault, which is expected to persist in the future.

The younger Altman has previously accused her brother of sexual assault on platforms like X, but this is the first time she's taken him to court. She is being represented by Ryan Mahoney, an Illinois-based lawyer who specializes in cases involving sexual assault and harassment.

The lawsuit requests a jury trial and damages in excess of $75,000.

Sam Altman, along with his mother Connie and brothers Jack and Max, issued a joint statement denying the allegations.

"Sam has been falsely accused by Annie in hurtful and untrue claims about our family. Although we respect her privacy and chose not to respond publicly, she has now taken legal action against Sam. As a result, we feel compelled to address this issue."

Their response states that all of the claims made are completely false, and that this situation causes immense pain to their entire family. They assert that Ann Altman is struggling with mental health issues and is unwilling to seek conventional treatment, while also attacking family members who are attempting to assist her.

Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Sam Altman has gained international recognition, with OpenAI being valued at $157 billion. The company's funding comes from Thrive Capital, Nvidia, SoftBank, and other investors.

In November 2023, OpenAI's board briefly removed Altman from the CEO role, but he was reinstated due to pressure from investors and employees.

This isn't the only lawsuit the tech exec faces.

In March, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and founder of xAI, sued OpenAI and co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, accusing them of breach of contract and fiduciary duty. Musk, who was a co-founder of OpenAI when it was established as a nonprofit in 2015, left the board in 2018 and has publicly criticized the organization for straying from its original mission.

In June, Musk withdrew his original complaint against OpenAI and later refiled it in federal court.

In a blog post last month, OpenAI refuted Musk's claim that he had created a for-profit company to serve as OpenAI's new structure in 2017.

WATCH: OpenAI unveils for-profit plans