Many Americans don't know who Sam Altman is
Core finding
In a Verasight survey of 2,000 U.S. adults conducted April 21 to 23, 2026, 31% said they were not familiar with Sam Altman.
Another 24% were neither favorable nor unfavorable toward him. Views among the rest were more negative than positive, with 28% unfavorable and 18% favorable.
Topline distribution
31% of Americans said they were not familiar with Sam Altman.
How favorable or unfavorable is your opinion of each of the following technology executives? Item: Sam Altman (OpenAI)
n = 2,000 · Apr 21–23, 2026 · MoE ±2.3%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Apr 21–23, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 2,000 |
| Margin of error | ±2.3% |
| Module | April 2026 Verasight Variety Survey |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/variety10126
- Sam Altman (OpenAI)
Cite this question
April 2026 Verasight Variety Survey, fielded April 21-23, 2026, N=2,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 2.3%.