Sam Altman is going on offense in the civil lawsuit filed by his sister Annie Altman. In a Wednesday night filing in St. Louis federal court, his legal team moved to strike punitive damages claims from the case, arguing that Missouri's child sexual abuse statute does not permit them.

According to the filing, Altman's attorneys contend the statute restricts recovery solely to "damages for injury or illness" resulting from alleged abuse. They further argue that punitive damages cannot apply to conduct allegedly committed while the defendant was still a minor. Altman denies all allegations.

The Case So Far

Annie Altman filed the civil lawsuit in January 2025, accusing Sam of repeated sexual abuse and rape between 1997 and 2006. She alleges the abuse began when she was three and he was twelve, and that the final incidents occurred after he turned 18. Sam Altman is currently 40 years old.

The Altman family has publicly stated that Annie has struggled with mental health issues and received ongoing financial assistance from the family. Sam Altman alleges the lawsuit followed her demands for escalating financial support, which the family declined.

Alongside the motion to strike punitive damages, Altman renewed his push to have the lawsuit dismissed entirely. He has also filed a countersuit against his sister for defamation, citing social media posts in which she allegedly referred to "an almost tech billionaire" who abused her. He is seeking just $1 in damages, stating he has no desire to cause her financial harm but wants a court ruling affirming her statements are false.

Why This Filing Matters

The motion to strike punitive damages is a targeted legal maneuver. If successful, it would cap the potential financial exposure from the lawsuit to compensatory damages tied directly to demonstrated injury. Punitive damages are designed to punish and deter, and typically carry no upper limit. Removing them from the case would significantly reduce the stakes of any adverse ruling.

Annie Altman's legal representatives had not publicly responded to the filing as of reporting.

Altman's Other Legal Front

This filing lands less than two weeks before Altman faces another courtroom. On April 27, trial begins in Elon Musk's $134 billion lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, which alleges Altman and OpenAI defrauded Musk into making donations by betraying the company's original nonprofit mission in favor of commercial interests. That case could reshape the legal framework around AI company structures and for-profit conversions.

For Altman, April 2026 is shaping up to be fought on two legal fronts simultaneously, with OpenAI's reputation and his personal credibility hanging in the balance on both.

First reported by Reuters.