A grainy video from the early 2000s is making waves online, offering a rare glimpse of Sam Altman long before he became the face of the global AI boom. The resurfaced clip shows a 19-year-old Altman, fresh out of Stanford, pitching his very first startup idea: a location-sharing app called Loopt.
The video, recently shared by the Instagram page artificialintelligencenews.in, has sparked fascination among netizens, who are seeing one of today’s most influential tech leaders in his formative years.
The pitch that started it all
In the clip, Altman confidently demonstrates Loopt’s interface, explaining how it lets users see where their friends are in real time. “We show you where people are, what they’re doing, and what cool places are around you. We make serendipity happen,” a young Altman says in the video.
He walks through scenarios of discovering a friend nearby at a restaurant or even at an airport, turning location data into social connection opportunities. With an iPhone in hand, Altman points out pins on a digital map that represent friends, their activities, and even their photo journals. At one point, he quips about asking a friend to lunch directly through the app — a concept that felt futuristic back then.
Loopt: ahead of its time
Loopt was founded in 2005 by Altman, fellow Stanford dropout Nick Sivo, and their peers. Initially called Radiate, the startup was part of Y Combinator’s early batches and later raised millions from venture capital giants like Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates.
The app allowed users to selectively share their location with friends, integrating with platforms like Facebook and Twitter. At its peak, Loopt had over five million registered users and partnerships with every major U.S. carrier. Despite its innovative edge, however, the company struggled to monetize its services in the long run. By 2012, after raising more than $30 million, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million.
Netizens call it “built different”
The resurfaced pitch has drawn nostalgic and admiring reactions online. “Bro was built different,” one user commented, while another pointed out the irony that “you can now do all this using only AI.” Others were inspired by Altman’s early hustle, encouraging young coders to start early.
The viral moment is not just about nostalgia. It highlights how far technology has come in two decades and how ideas that once required millions in venture capital are now features built into everyday apps powered by artificial intelligence.
From Loopt to OpenAI
Loopt may not have achieved mainstream dominance, but it set the stage for Altman’s remarkable career. After its acquisition, he went on to join Y Combinator, eventually becoming its president. In 2019, he shifted full focus to OpenAI, where he now serves as CEO. Under his leadership, OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, igniting the generative AI revolution.
Today, Altman is considered one of the central figures in shaping the future of artificial intelligence, with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion as of 2025. Yet, the resurfaced Loopt pitch is a reminder that even tech visionaries start small, often with ideas that don’t fully succeed — but pave the way for what comes next.
The video, recently shared by the Instagram page artificialintelligencenews.in, has sparked fascination among netizens, who are seeing one of today’s most influential tech leaders in his formative years.
The pitch that started it all
In the clip, Altman confidently demonstrates Loopt’s interface, explaining how it lets users see where their friends are in real time. “We show you where people are, what they’re doing, and what cool places are around you. We make serendipity happen,” a young Altman says in the video.
He walks through scenarios of discovering a friend nearby at a restaurant or even at an airport, turning location data into social connection opportunities. With an iPhone in hand, Altman points out pins on a digital map that represent friends, their activities, and even their photo journals. At one point, he quips about asking a friend to lunch directly through the app — a concept that felt futuristic back then.
Loopt: ahead of its time
Loopt was founded in 2005 by Altman, fellow Stanford dropout Nick Sivo, and their peers. Initially called Radiate, the startup was part of Y Combinator’s early batches and later raised millions from venture capital giants like Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates.
The app allowed users to selectively share their location with friends, integrating with platforms like Facebook and Twitter. At its peak, Loopt had over five million registered users and partnerships with every major U.S. carrier. Despite its innovative edge, however, the company struggled to monetize its services in the long run. By 2012, after raising more than $30 million, Loopt was acquired by Green Dot Corporation for $43.4 million.
Netizens call it “built different”
The resurfaced pitch has drawn nostalgic and admiring reactions online. “Bro was built different,” one user commented, while another pointed out the irony that “you can now do all this using only AI.” Others were inspired by Altman’s early hustle, encouraging young coders to start early.
The viral moment is not just about nostalgia. It highlights how far technology has come in two decades and how ideas that once required millions in venture capital are now features built into everyday apps powered by artificial intelligence.
From Loopt to OpenAI
Loopt may not have achieved mainstream dominance, but it set the stage for Altman’s remarkable career. After its acquisition, he went on to join Y Combinator, eventually becoming its president. In 2019, he shifted full focus to OpenAI, where he now serves as CEO. Under his leadership, OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, igniting the generative AI revolution.
Today, Altman is considered one of the central figures in shaping the future of artificial intelligence, with an estimated net worth of $1.8 billion as of 2025. Yet, the resurfaced Loopt pitch is a reminder that even tech visionaries start small, often with ideas that don’t fully succeed — but pave the way for what comes next.
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