OpenAI is making headlines left and right, but few people know the man behind the robot – CEO Sam Altman.

Altman co-founded the AI company with Elon Musk, but before that he was well known in tech circles as the president of startup accelerator Y-Combinator.

But there’s some story behind the success.

Altman grew up in St. Louis Missouri, and he’s always been an electronics prodigy. The 37-year-old learned how to program and take apart a computer when he was just 8 years old. Altman credits his time on chat rooms as a kid for helping him come out to his parents as gay at 16 years old.

Altman’s revelation came after a Christian group boycotted an assembly at his school that was focused on sexuality. Those who grew up with him say that his coming out changed the school, and helped other kids find their voice.

As an adult, Altman quickly grew legs in the tech world, studying computer science at Stanford before dropping out to focus on an app he and a friend created called Loopt. It was the first of eight companies at startup accelerator Y Combinator, which Altman was eventually president of. Loopt eventually sold for $43M in 2012.

From there, Altman founded a venture fund known as Hydrazone Capital, where he raised $21M. He made the “30 Under 30” list for Forbes at the age of 29.

In 2015, Altman co-founded OpenAI with Elno Musk. Their goal? Making sure AI doesn’t wipe out humans.

In the past, Altman has revealed that he is a doomsday prepper, warning of a “lethal synthetic virus” AI attacking humans, or a nuclear war.

And yes, there’s zero irony in the fact that he helped create the world’s most advanced AI. In 2016, Altman told founders of startup Shypmate, “I try not to think about it too much. But I have guns, gold, potassium iodide, antibiotics, batteries, water, gas masks from the Israeli Defense Force, and a big patch of land in Big Sur I can fly to.”

An outspoken critic of Donald Trump, Altman has been described as a “cyber-chondriac” for diagnosing himself through online searches, and a “genius.”