Synopsis
OpenAI acquires TBPN: Coogan and the other cofounder Jordi Hays said they expect the relationship with OpenAI to continue. OpenAI has indicated that TBPN will remain editorially independent, retaining control over programming, guest selection, and production.“When I reflect on my career… it makes a lot of sense,” Coogan said during a recent TBPN episode announcing the development. “This is a plot twist.”
Altman invested in Coogan’s startup
Coogan built Soylent in 2012 alongside Rob Rhinehart, Matt Cauble, and David Renteln. The company became one of Silicon Valley’s most visible consumer startups, raising $1.5 million in seed funding from investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Lerer Ventures, and Initialized Capital. Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, Garry Tan (partner at Initialized Capital, now CEO of Y Combinator), and YC partner Harj Taggar also participated in the round.
Sam Altman invested in Soylent through Hydrazine Capital, a venture firm he co-founded in 2012 with his brother Jack Altman.
Coogan added that Altman stepped in during a difficult financing process, resolving a deadlock within minutes and leaving a lasting impression of a “founder-friendly” operator.
"We got in a really serious logjam during financing. I wrote him an email… and he was able to completely resolve everything," Coogan said, recalling that period.
Coogan-Altman relationship continued
Their relationship continued as Lucy, the second company Coogan founded, was backed by Y Combinator, where Altman served as president from 2014 to 2019.
Coogan subsequently joined Founders Fund as an entrepreneur-in-residence, where he witnessed first-hand the surge of investment in OpenAI following the launch of ChatGPT. He described that as having a “front row seat” to OpenAI’s funding momentum in late 2022 and early 2023.
When TBPN began to gain traction, Altman was among the first high-profile guests invited to the show.
Coogan and the other cofounder Jordi Hays said they expect the relationship with OpenAI to continue, alongside broader participation from across the technology industry.
OpenAI has indicated that TBPN will remain editorially independent, retaining control over programming, guest selection, and production. “Pretty much everything is going to stay exactly the same,” Coogan said.
