Sam Altman reveals he 'overdosed' on GLP-1s that left him laying in a hospital bed
There's another PSA about the potential dangers of GLP-1s, and while the so-called skinny jabs are all the rage among celebrities ranging from Elon Musk to Oprah Winfrey, OpenAI boss Sam Alrman has issued his own warning.
When some of the world's richest, like Musk and Altman, are jabbing themselves in an attempt to get that summer body, it's unsurprising that the average Joe wants to try the likes of Ozempic for themselves – especially when President Donald Trump was instrumental in bringing down prices.
It still feels that people are very much in two health camps when it comes to GLP-1s like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy. While some think these jabs (and now pills) could be used as a one-fits-all kind of drug, others warn about a variety of side effects and even the potential threat of death.
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Speaking to Kara Swisher about all things AI and health, Altman revealed his experience with GLP-1s. Casting his mind back 'many' years, he says that when GLP-1s first came on the market, there was a compounding pharmacy that would make it for you. Altman claims they screwed up the dosing, saying that while he doesn't remember exactly what it was, he was given a 'mega overdose'.
With this being Altman's first experience with GLP-1s, he maintains that he had no tolerance. After injecting at around 11 am, he started feeling adverse effects around 2 pm, with his now-husband supposedly saying it looked like Altman was 'dying'.
Expanding on what was going on, Altman continued: "I go to bed feeling horrible, puking all night. I have now, kind of, put together that maybe it has to do with this. My pulse is like 150, my blood sugar is like fully crashing in the water with the CR."
After being given a glucose drip, he says it was eventually determined that it was a result of his apparent 'mega overdose'.
Altman explained: "An interesting and unknown thing about this is that it makes you not have a desire to eat. Take enough of it makes you not have a desire for anything else."
While Altman says he normally consumes information and needs a lot of stimulation, the GLP-1 overdose left him staring at a white hospital ceiling and not even being able to think, as he didn't have a desire for anything.
Elsewhere, he also opened up about GLP-1s during an interview with the "Conversations with Tyler" podcast. When Altman was asked about his 'nuttiest' health view, the billionaire admitted that his awareness of his own health completely depends on how busy he is. Speaking to Tyler Cowen, Altman said: "When I was less busy, I was more disciplined on health-related stuff. I kind of ate healthy. I didn't drink that much. I worked out a lot."
He didn't expand on what happened but simply added: "I once ended up in a hospital for trying semaglutide before it was cool."
On the Cowen podcast, Altman says he now eats junk food but doesn't exercise, being told to take his health journey more seriously once again. Given his experience with GLP-1s, it doesn't sound like he'll get jabbing himself anytime soon.