It's been widely reported that Alabama became the first state to make Christmas a legal holiday in 1836.

These days, the state celebrates with a tree outside the state capitol in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 1952, Con and Nellie Miller set up a trading post outside Fairbanks, Alaska, and called the town North Pole. The Miller family built Santa Claus House, a general goods store there.

In the Arizona desert, some people decorate cacti for the Christmas season.

In 2018, the Associated Press reported that a family in Phoenix built their Christmas tree from a cactus skeleton. They called it a "Phoenix Christmas tree."

Every year, Fayetteville, Arkansas, hosts the "Lights of the Ozarks" Christmas light display.

This year, the display will be up from November 22 to January 1, and according to ExperienceFayetteville.com, it's free to visit every night until 1 a.m.

California is home to the original Disneyland, which hosts several Christmas-themed events during the holiday season.

This year, through January 6, the park will be transformed into a winter wonderland. Even Sleeping Beauty's Castle gets the holiday treatment with wreaths and lights of its own.

Every year, Denver turns into a holiday wonderland for an event known as "Mile High Holidays."

Throughout November and December, the city is decorated with a 110-foot-tall LED light tree, while the botanical garden and zoo are transformed with lights.

In 2021, software company Porch conducted a study that found that people in Connecticut spend the most time decorating the exteriors of their homes, using an average of seven hours and 36 minutes to do so.

One of the most popular houses to visit was that of the Setti family in Norwalk, who decorated their home into a Christmas village for 26 years before retiring in 2014.

Nemours Estate is typically decked with elaborate Christmas decorations in Wilmington, Delaware.

According to the estate's website, visitors can tour the 77-room 20th-century mansion, the Chauffeur's garage, and the gardens, complete with their holiday displays through December 29.

Universal Studios in Orlando transforms for the holidays every year with holiday lights, Christmas trees, and other festive decor.

In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter section, guests can sip hot butterbeer while the Grinch hangs around Seuss Landing.

Every year, Atlanta hosts "Skate the Station," where a large, temporary ice skating rink is installed at Atlantic Station.

This year's rink is in operation through January 15.

Shaka Santa and his wife, Tutu Mele, are fixtures of the holiday season in Honolulu.

Every year, the pair of 21-foot statues are placed in front of city hall or Honolulu Hale. The city is also known for the "Honolulu City Lights" celebration.

Every year, Idaho's state Christmas tree is lit in front of the statehouse in Boise.

According to a local news station, this year's tree is a 36-foot-tall blue spruce that weighs about 3,750 pounds.

Chicago and Aurora, Illinois, will host the Christkindlmarket this year.

It's the 28th year the market has been held in Chicago, and over those years, it's become a popular attraction for residents looking to buy gifts, ornaments, and food from around the world.

Indianapolis decorates the Soldiers and Sailors Monument with 4,784 Christmas lights to make it look like a giant Christmas tree in an event known as the "Circle of Lights."

Keokuk, Iowa, hosts the "City of Christmas Display of Lights", a light display in Rand Park that visitors can drive through.

About 20,000 cars drive through the park annually to see more than 150 light displays, including the nativity scene, Santa's workshop, reindeer, and elves.

Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, is a public garden that hosts the holiday light show "Illuminations."

"Illuminations" features up to two million lights and has music, carousel rides, treats, and an opportunity to see Santa Claus. This year's display will be available through January 4.

Visitors of Lexington, Kentucky's Triangle Park, can enjoy an ice skating rink through January 20, 2025.

"Celebration in the Oaks" is an annual tradition where the city of New Orleans covers 25 acres of New Orleans City Park in Christmas lights.

The display spans the Park, Botanical Garden, Storyland, and the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park.

Since Maine is known for its lobster, it's fitting that residents build special Christmas trees focused on the sea creature.

In 2018, Rockland, Maine, residents built the world's largest tree out of lobster traps, reaching 40.5 feet. The tree included 155 lobster traps, 180 lobster buoys, and 2,500 lights, News Center Maine reported.

The Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore attracts visitors every year thanks to its elaborate Christmas decorations, which are displayed in a display called "Miracle on 34th Street."

Almost all the homes on the block are covered in Christmas lights, candy canes, Santa dolls, and other holiday displays.

Boston transforms during the holiday season, with hundreds of Christmas lights covering the trees in the Public Garden, Copley Square, the Prudential Center, and the Common.

Millions of lights become the focal point at the Detroit Zoo's "Wild Lights" event. According to its website, the zoo features more than 500 immersive displays. Some of the massive light displays include a lion, whale, fox, and snake.

Decorated in various Christmas lights, the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train stops in more than 20 towns throughout Minnesota to raise money, awareness, and food donations for local food banks and pantries.

Though visitors can't actually ride the train, they're treated to a concert of holiday songs and popular originals. Some of this year's performers include Alana Springsteen, American Authors, Clerel, and Tiera Kennedy.

While most of the country decorates houses for Christmas, some residents in Mississippi decorate their boats with Christmas lights and other holiday decor.

The boaters show off their festive vessels at the Biloxi Beach Water Boat Parade, culminating in a fireworks show over the water.

Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, is decorated with Christmas lights, falling snowflakes, a Christmas tree, and toy trains for the holiday season.

People also come to the station to take in the holiday-themed shows, which include piano recitals, pageants, and caroling.

Volunteers in Bigfork, Montana, called the Bigfork Elves, are known for decorating the town yearly.

According to Bigfork.com, the volunteers "deck the town with over 10,000 feet of garland and lights" and have been active in the area for over 40 years.

Residents also gather for a tree-lighting ceremony and host other festive events.

"Christmas at the Cody's" is an annual celebration at the mansion of "Buffalo Bill" and Louisa Cody in North Platte, Nebraska.

The property is part of the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, and guests can enjoy Christmas lights, carols, and horse-drawn carriage rides.

In 2019, Business Insider named Las Vegas one of the most festive places to spend the holidays, and the annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run might be part of the reason.

The event draws thousands of people dressed in Old Saint Nick costumes to the city's downtown area to run or walk the course.

Though residents in Connecticut win for most time spent on exterior decorations, New Hampshire residents spend the most time decorating overall, with an average of 17 hours dedicated to the activity, according to Porch.

Loudon, New Hampshire, is also home to the Gift of Lights, a 2.5-mile drive with hundreds of light displays.

Christmas Day looks a bit different for some in New Jersey because they re-enact George Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River.

The event starts at the Washington Crossing Historic Park in Pennsylvania and ends in Trenton, New Jersey, just as the former president did in 1776.

Every Christmas Eve, the streets leading to the Mesilla town square are lined with paper lanterns.

The square is also decorated in lights, as local choirs sing Christmas tunes, visitors enjoy holiday treats, and a vigil is held for fallen service members of the local fire department.

Rockefeller Center was completed in 1939 and has since become one of New York City's most popular tourist destinations. Millions of people visit the Christmas tree every year.

According to NBC, the tree is completed with a 900-pound Swarovski star with 70 spikes, 3 million crystals, and plenty of lights.

According to a 2022 report by the USDA, North Carolina produces the second-most Christmas trees of any state in the US, with more than 3 million trees.

This year, Williston, North Dakota, celebrated its 10th annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony with a 41-foot-tall Colorado Blue Spruce.

In addition to the tree lighting, guests enjoyed a bonfire, music, and fireworks.

"A Christmas Story" was released in 1983 and quickly became a cult classic during the holidays.

The house seen in the movie is still standing in Cleveland, and across the street, there's a museum that houses props, costumes, and other artifacts from the film.

Every year, the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce hosts the Purcell Christmas Parade in Purcell, Oklahoma.

One key detail for parade participants: No one can dress up as Santa Claus — that responsibility belongs to the Heart of Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce.

Beating out North Carolina for Christmas tree production is Oregon.

According to the USDA, the "Beaver State" produced more than 4.5 million Christmas trees in 2022 to earn the top spot in the country.

In Philadelphia's Love Park, you'll find the Christmas Village, an open-air market with small business owners' booths, a Ferris wheel, treats, and the second-annual Festival of Trees fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Newport is known for its famous mansions like The Breakers, The Elms, and Marble House.

The Preservation Society of Newport County welcomes visitors every year inside these homes to tour the Christmas decorations. You will find wreaths, poinsettias, white candles, and elaborate Christmas trees inside.

The Poinsettia Christmas Parade has been a Greenville, South Carolina, tradition for over 75 years.

This year, the best walking group award was given to the Bike Walk Greenville "Poinsettia Pedalers and Pedestrians."

According to Travel South Dakota, the state's "Christmas at the Capitol" tradition started in 1981 with 12 Christmas trees and now features almost 100 trees decorated by different organizations, cities, and businesses.

Business Insider's Priyanka Rajput reported that the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville has hosted "A Country Christmas" for 41 years.

To celebrate the holidays, the hotel prepares for six weeks to decorate the space with everything from life-size ice sculptures and hand-tied ribbons to elaborate Christmas trees.

The AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas hosted the "Reliant Lights Your Holiday" festival earlier this month. The free event included live music, local vendors, a drone show, fireworks, cookie decorating, and more.

Founded in 1847, the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (previously known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) tours the world for most of the year but returns to Salt Lake City for its annual Christmas concert.

This year's guest artist is Tony Award winner Ruthie Ann Miles.

House Beautiful named Woodstock, Vermont, one of 2024's "most charming Christmas towns" in the US.

One of its attractions is Wassail Weekend, a festival with a parade, Christmas tree lighting, caroling, ice skating, and more.

Williamsburg, Virginia, is known for having a variety of festive activities, including markets, fireworks shows, performances, and Busch Gardens Christmas Town.

Like other major cities, Seattle hosts an annual Christmas market with artisans, food, drinks, and more. The city also participates in SantaCon, a bar crawl where people dress up as Santa.

The "Oglebay Winter Festival of Lights" dates back to 1985 and takes place in Wheeling, West Virginia. Today, it includes more than 100 light displays across 300 acres, WBOY-TV reported, and this year's display also features lights choreographed to music.

At the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, visitors can ride two holiday-themed trains: the Santa Express and the Holiday Flyer.

According to the museum's website, passengers aboard the Santa Express will take a 55-minute ride and receive a visit from Santa and a small gift, while passengers on the Holiday Flyer will receive hot chocolate and treats.

The Jackson Hole Town Square is famous for its arch made of antlers.

After Thanksgiving, the city holds an event — with Santa, cookies, candies, and carols — to watch the antlers light up with Christmas lights for the first time in the season.

One great thing about living so close to Disney World is that I can go to the parks whenever I want, as long as reservations are available for annual passholders.

I usually visit three or four times a week because the parks bring me so much happiness.

I enjoy meeting the characters, so if I'm having a hard day and want to see Mickey Mouse or a princess, I don't have to commute very far.

Most of the friends I made during my time in the Disney College Program in 2018 now live in Florida.

Since moving, I've met with them to watch the parades, visit characters, and eat snacks in the parks.

It's nice to go to the parks, enjoy each other's company, and not feel rushed during every experience.

The creative snacks are one of my favorite parts of visiting Disney World.

I love trying the different cupcakes, brownies, and Mickey crisped-rice treats that celebrate holidays like Halloween, Christmas, and Father's Day.

I often enjoy the Mickey ice-cream sandwiches and bars, especially when the heat is unbearable.

I was born and raised in New York City, so I was taught not to make eye contact or say hello to most people when walking on the street.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Florida was how friendly many people were, especially the staff at Disney World.

Whenever I pass by people at my apartment complex or in the parks, a wave or a "hello" is often involved.

Though this initially felt strange, I've become more comfortable interacting with strangers.

I never thought I'd be able to see Magic Kingdom's fireworks from my apartment, but now I can.

Though I don't have a complete view of the shows, I see at least a couple of magical fireworks each night.

I thought I knew what heavy rain was like living in New York, but I didn't realize how extreme tropical storms and hurricanes could be until I moved to Florida.

Although New York has been hit directly by a handful of hurricanes in the past few years, Florida is the most hurricane-prone state in the US.

The storms in Florida can get pretty extreme. When I had to evacuate my apartment complex and ride out Hurricane Ian, my first big Florida storm, I chose to stay at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

It was a frightening experience, but I thought the park employees did a great job ensuring guests were as comfortable as possible.

Still, I try to stay on top of extreme weather warnings and upcoming storms more than ever now that I'm in Florida.

Florida is known for its high temperatures and strong sun rays, so I apply sunscreen much more often than I did in New York.

Many of the attractions and shows at the theme parks are outdoors, so if I forget my sunscreen, I get a harsh sunburn that lasts for several days.

After living in New York for about 20 years, I grew accustomed to the taste of tap water.

Since I made drinking tap water a habit, I usually bring my reusable water bottles with me when I visit the theme parks.

However, I find that Florida's tap water doesn't taste as great.

I moved to Florida with my sister but often miss my parents and family back in New York.

It's hard knowing I can't take a 40-minute train ride to see my parents on the weekends like I did in college.

It's nice when my parents do come to visit, though.

This story was originally published on January 16, 2024, and most recently updated on December 23, 2024.

Mortar platoon soldiers endured temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius while holding their positions.

Mahmoud Al-Durra and his children were displaced from Gaza City amid the Israel-Hamas war.

The elections were held two years after Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote.

The event marked 20 years since the first same-sex marriages in San Francisco.

On February 4, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties after heavy rainfall caused flooding and mudslides.

According to data released by the UK's Home Office, 33,684 migrants arrived in the UK on small boats in 2024 as of December 1.

Six maintenance workers died as a result of the bridge collapse.

Many traveled to watch the solar eclipse in the "path of totality" in parts of the US, Mexico, and Canada.

In April, Columbia University's then-president Nemat Minouche Shafik announced that the institution would not divest from Israel and said students remaining in a pro-Palestinian encampment on campus would be suspended. Student protesters then barricaded themselves inside the university's Hamilton Hall, resulting in 300 arrests.

Temperatures in the Philippines hit 53 degrees Celsius, or around 127 degrees Fahrenheit.

Raisi died in a helicopter crash in the mountains near the border with Azerbaijan. Iran's foreign minister and a provincial governor also died in the crash.

Iowa experienced a record-high number of 122 tornadoes in 2024.

Iceland's famous Blue Lagoon was evacuated ahead of the eruption.

The Normandy British Memorial hosted an installation titled "Standing with Giants" as part of the official D-Day commemoration.

The presidential debate proved disastrous for Biden. His poor performance panicked Democrats, ultimately leading to his withdrawal from the 2024 election.

Photographers on the campaign trail captured images of Trump's bloodied face as he held a fist in the air, which quickly became iconic photos.

The oil tanker was carrying 1.4 million liters, or around 400,000 gallons, of fuel when it sank during Typhoon Gaemi.

The Maui wildfires killed 102 people.

The Park Fire, the fourth-largest fire in California's history, burned over 400,000 acres.

Biden endorsed Harris after he dropped out of the race.

In his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Biden spoke highly of Harris, saying that choosing her as his vice president was "the best decision" he's made in his career.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my career, but I gave my best to you," he said in his speech.

Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm, left 3 million homes in five states without power and caused widespread flooding and damage.

Around 60 hostages remain in Gaza, though it is unknown how many are still alive.

Israel's counteroffensive airstrikes and military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 45,000 Palestinian fatalities, according to figures provided to the United Nations by the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces reported that 17,000 of these fatalities were Hamas militants.

Hurricane Milton slammed into southwest Florida with winds of up to 120 mph and left 3.3 million homes and businesses without power.

Pennsylvania was a crucial battleground state in the 2024 election where both Harris and Trump campaigned heavily.

Mount Fuji's snowless top raised concerns about the impact of the climate crisis on weather patterns.

Trump won 312 electoral votes to Harris' 226. Republicans also won majorities in the House and the Senate.

"In our nation, we owe loyalty not to a president or a party but to the Constitution of the United States," Harris said in her speech. "And loyalty to our conscience and to our God. My allegiance to all three is why I am here to say, while I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign."

Members of South Korea's Parliament convened for an emergency vote to reverse Yoon's declaration, barricading themselves inside the National Assembly as soldiers forced their way in.

Lawmakers voted to end martial law, and Yoon relented after six hours of chaos.

Mangione was arrested in Pennsylvania and agreed to be transferred to New York, where he faces federal charges of stalking, murder through the use of a firearm, and a related gun charge.

Assad fled Syria and has reportedly taken refuge in Moscow.

"You Light Up My Life" was the first song in history to chart at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Physical" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"End of the Road" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

"I Will Always Love You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"I Swear" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"I'll Make Love to You" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"One Sweet Day" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.

"Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"Un-Break My Heart" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"I'll Be Missing You" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"The Boy Is Mine" charted at No. 1 for 13 weeks.

"Smooth" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Maria Maria" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Independent Women, Pt. 1" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"Foolish" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Dilemma" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Lose Yourself" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Yeah!" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"We Belong Together" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"Gold Digger" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Irreplaceable" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Low" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Boom Boom Pow" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"I Gotta Feeling" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"We Found Love" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Blurred Lines" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Happy" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Uptown Funk!" charted at No. 1 for 14 weeks.

"See You Again" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Hello" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"One Dance" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

"Closer" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Shape of You" charted at No. 1 for 12 weeks.

"Despacito" charted at No. 1 for 16 weeks.

"God's Plan" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"In My Feelings" charted at No. 1 for 10 weeks.

Drake holds the record for the most solo entries on this list, with three of the longest-running chart-toppers in history.

"Old Town Road" holds the record for the longest stretch at No. 1 with 19 weeks. It also became the fastest song in history to be certified diamond.

"The Box" charted at No. 1 for 11 weeks.

"Butter" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks.

"Easy On Me" charted at No. 1 for 10 nonconsecutive weeks, becoming Adele's second song to reach the milestone.

"As It Was" charted at No. 1 for 15 nonconsecutive weeks, the longest reign ever for a British artist.

Nearly three decades years after its release, "All I Want for Christmas Is You" returned to No. 1 in December 2022 for its milestone 10th week atop the chart.

The holiday classic is Carey's third song with double-digit weeks atop the Hot 100, making her the third artist and first woman ever to achieve the feat thrice.

In 2024, the song experienced another holiday surge, earning its 17th total week at No. 1 and surpassing "One Sweet Day" as Carey's longest-reigning hit on the Hot 100.

"Last Night" charted at No. 1 for 16 nonconsecutive weeks, the most ever for a solo song — despite the country singer's many controversies.

"A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Shaboozey's breakout hit, has charted at No. 1 for 19 nonconsecutive weeks, the most among solo hits. It's now tied with "Old Town Road" for the all-time record.

OpenAI's board of directors removed Altman as CEO in November 2023, saying it didn't have "confidence in his ability to continue leading OpenAI."

A few days later, though, Altman was back as the startup's chief executive, and there was a new board, too. OpenAI employees reportedly refer to the period as "The Blip."

Details about the drama, such as exactly who had pushed for Altman's ouster, tricked out over the following weeks and months.

In December, Altman told Time that the ordeal was tough for him but that OpenAI emerged more unified than before. "I wouldn't wish it on an enemy. But it did have an extremely positive effect on the company," he said at the time.

The Financial Times reported in January that xAI was seeking to raise as much as $6 billion at a valuation of $20 billion. Founder Elon Musk has framed the company as a challenger to OpenAI, which he co-founded with Altman. Musk left OpenAI's board in 2018.

A deal valued OpenAI at $80 billion, about triple its last valuation, The New York Times first reported in February. Company employees could cash out their shares as part of the tender offer.

Musk sued Altman and OpenAI in February, saying that the company "has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary" of Microsoft. That meant that OpenAI was now generating profit in violation of its nonprofit mission, Musk said in the lawsuit.

Altman and other OpenAI executives responded in a blog post in March. The post said that Musk himself had talked to the company about making OpenAI a for-profit entity, including potentially merging it with Tesla.

Musk withdrew his lawsuit in June, though the issue would resurface in the fall.

The SEC investigation was focused on whether OpenAI misled investors, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Unnamed sources told the Journal that the investigation was a response to the former OpenAI board's statement in November that Altman was not "consistently candid in his communications" before he was temporarily ousted from the company.

OpenAI's board "unanimously concluded" that Altman and President Greg Brockman were "the right leaders for OpenAI," Chair Bret Taylor said in March.

Altman rejoined the board as three new members, all women, also took seats.

Sutskever, also chief scientist at OpenAI, was one of the group that attempted to push Altman out of the company in November. He later said that he regretted being part of the movement to oust Altman.

In a farewell post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sutskever said he was confident that OpenAI would create artificial general intelligence that would be "both safe and beneficial."

OpenAI pulled the voice from ChatGPT amid a public furor, adding that it wasn't an imitation of the movie star but belonged to another actor.

Some users had compared Sky to the voice of an automated assistant in the 2013 movie "Her," which Johansson voiced.

Johansson said that Altman had asked her to voice ChatGPT but that she declined. When OpenAI went ahead with a voice that sounded like hers, Johansson said she was "shocked" and hired legal representation.

In addition to the "Sky" voice incident, a New York Times report in early June added to OpenAI's image problems. It featured concerns from current and former OpenAI employees that the company wasn't doing enough to prevent its artificial intelligence from harming or destroying humanity.

An OpenAI spokesperson at the time reiterated to Business Insider the company's commitment to safety, highlighting an "anonymous integrity hotline" for employees to voice their concerns and the company's safety and security committee.

A Vox report also said that OpenAI pushed restrictive NDAs on departing employees and put their vested equity at risk if they didn't agree to them. The company told BI it would make " important updates to our departure process."

All of that created a public relations challenge for Altman.

During its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in June, Apple said it would offer ChatGPT within its software, such as through Siri.

The partnership gives OpenAI potentially vast reach, with ChatGPT now within easier reach of millions of iPhone users.

In August, Musk filed another lawsuit in which his lawyers argued that OpenAI executives "deceived" Musk into cofounding the company by playing on his concerns about the existential risks AI poses.

In November, Musk added Microsoft as well as one of its board members, Reid Hoffman, who also used to sit on OpenAI's board, as a defendant in the suit. It alleged that Microsoft was working with OpenAI to create a monopoly in the artificial intelligence world and extend "lavish compensation" to employees.

Musk also named Shivon Zilis, a former OpenAI board member and mother of three of Musk's children, as a plaintiff.

OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015, but the company said that it would change that status over the next two years.

The process will involve multiple steps, such as giving OpenAI's investors equity stakes in the new entity and earning government approvals, Business Insider previously reported.

The plan has drawn pushback, including from Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Chief Technology Officer Murati said she was leaving OpenAI "to create the time and space to do my own exploration."

Murati reportedly played an important role in the attempted ousting of Altman from OpenAI. She served as CEO temporarily before Altman was reinstated.

President Gregg Brockman also said in August that he would take an extended leave of absence; he returned in November.

Including Sutskever, at least nine notable OpenAI employees have left the company in 2024, Business Insider found. Among them were OpenAI co-founders Andrej Karpathy and John Schulman.

The funding round valued OpenAI at $157 billion, putting it on a similar footing with Uber and AT&T.

Thrive Capital led the round. Other major investors in OpenAI's round included SoftBank, Tiger Global, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

In November, xAI told investors it had raised $5 billion at a $50 billion valuation, The Journal reported.

Lawyers for the newspapers were reviewing OpenAI's training data as part of the lawsuit.

In November, they learned that "OpenAI's engineers erased all of the News Plaintiffs' programs and search result data," according to a filing in the case. OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment at the time.