SAN FRANCISCO, California: Sam Altman, the chief executive officer (CEO) of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, has become a billionaire, Forbes said on Monday.

Altman, who became the face of the global artificial intelligence (AI) frenzy when his company released ChatGPT in 2022, cracked the magazine's list of billionaires in the 2,692nd position.

RICHEST Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, speaks during The Wall Street Journal's Tech Live Conference in Laguna Beach, California, on Oct. 17, 2023. Altman has become a billionaire, according to Forbes on Monday, April 8, 2024. AFP PHOTO

The financial news outlet said that Altman's wealth came mainly from his investments in startups, such as Reddit, which was recently floated on the New York Stock Exchange, and payments company Stripe, which is currently estimated to be worth $65 billion.

The 38-year-old has also invested in more recent ventures, such as nuclear energy company Helion and longevity startup Retro Biosciences.

His fortune, which includes prime real estate in California and Hawaii, was estimated using public filings and investigative reporting, Forbes said.

Altman has insisted that he does not own equity in OpenAI, a company that has made him almost a household name and is estimated to be worth about $80 billion.

Last week, Taylor Swift was also officially named a member of the Forbes billionaires list, with an estimated $1.1 billion fortune.