Emmett Shear: Last News

Amazon‘s gamer-centric streaming outlet Twitch is laying off 500 staffers, CEO Dan Clancy told employees in a memo this morning.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor One week ago, OpenAI’s board fired CEO Sam Altman. Now, the pioneering artificial intelligence startup, which created buzzy AI chatbot ChatGPT, is bringing him back. “We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo,” the not-for-profit research company posted Friday night on X.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor After a flurry of weekend negotiations, Microsoft said it hired Sam Altman — just two days after the board of OpenAI ousted him as CEO — while OpenAI recruited Emmett Shear, most recently chief executive of livestreaming platform Twitch, to step in as interim CEO. Altman will lead a new artificial-intelligence research team at Microsoft, alongside former OpenAI president Greg Brockman (who had quit after Altman was fired on Nov. 17), Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced in a post Sunday night.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Emmett Shear, longtime CEO of video game-centric livestreaming platform Twitch, announced that he’s leaving effectively immediately. Dan Clancy, currently Twitch’s president, will succeed Shear as CEO, effective immediately. In a blog post Thursday announcing the decision, Shear said he will continue to work at Twitch in an advisory role. Shear said he was stepping down as Twitch CEO following the birth of his first child. “With my first child just born, I’ve been reflecting on my future with Twitch. Twitch often feels to me like a child I’ve been raising as well,” Shear wrote. “And while I will always want to be there if Twitch needs me, at 16 years old it feels to me Twitch is ready to move out of the house and venture alone. So it is with great poignancy that I share my decision to resign from Twitch as CEO. I want to be fully there for my son as he enters this world and I feel ready for this change to tackle new challenges.”

A long-time top Jeff Bezos lieutenant, Jeff Blackburn, is returning to Amazon in a new position, SVP of Global Media & Entertainment. He will oversee all entertainment business including Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Music, Podcasts/Wondery, Audible, Games, and Twitch.