A tech professional’s bold and unconventional job application to lead OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has gone viral after screenshots of an alleged rejection email surfaced on social media.
The applicant, Ömer Öztok, reportedly applied for the role of Chief Executive Officer with a pitch that replaced the traditional cover letter with a series of provocative ideas. According to reports, including one by The Economic Times, OpenAI acknowledged his “boldness” but described parts of his proposal as “apocalyptic” and legally disruptive.
What Öztok proposed in his application
Screenshots shared by Öztok on LinkedIn show that he suggested sweeping changes if appointed CEO. One line that drew particular attention read: “As my first action, I’ll replace the entire C-suite (except myself) with ChatGPT agents.”
Other tongue-in-cheek proposals included poaching Meta’s AI team by offering them lifetime ChatGPT Plus subscriptions, acquiring Google “just for the name,” and training a future version of GPT exclusively on his own social media posts.
Rather than downplaying the rejection, Öztok leaned into it with humour. “I shot my shot. This time, for something bigger: CEO of OpenAI,” he wrote, adding that his startup, Lynkr, would one day overtake the company led by Sam Altman.
Inside the alleged rejection email
The email response shared online, attributed to OpenAI’s leadership team, thanked Öztok for his enthusiasm but flagged his ideas as concerning. It reportedly stated that replacing senior executives with AI agents was viewed as “apocalyptic” and that his plans to recruit rival teams from Meta raised legal red flags.
The email concluded by saying the company would proceed with a more “traditional candidate” who did not request half the organisation.
Social media reacts with humour
The exchange quickly struck a chord online, with many users praising Öztok for his confidence. Comments ranged from “Shooters shoot” to jokes suggesting he should have asked for 49 per cent instead of 50 per cent of the company. Others quipped that the rejection email itself might have been written by AI.
A reflection of tech culture today
While the authenticity of the email has not been independently verified, the episode highlights the increasingly performative nature of tech culture, where humour, satire and ambition often blur. It also reflects how AI, leadership and disruption are being debated far beyond boardrooms — sometimes through viral posts that spark both laughter and reflection.