Sam Altman’s Orb Startup Faces Internal Probes Over Thailand Rollout

Tools for Humanity, the company behind Sam Altman’s Orb-based Worldcoin project, faced two internal investigations over alleged financial irregularities, Thailand operations and possible foreign-bribery concerns.

The allegations were detailed in a Business Insider investigation, which said the company hired O’Melveny & Myers and Sidley Austin in 2025 to review concerns tied to its international rollout. Tools for Humanity is the main developer behind World, formerly known as Worldcoin, whose Orb devices scan users’ irises to issue World IDs and distribute access to the WLD token.

One probe reviewed allegations that senior leaders approved six- and seven-figure payments to a foreign firm to artificially support the Worldcoin token’s value, which people familiar with the matter described as a potential securities-law issue. The second examined the company’s Thailand rollout and its ties to a local business partner linked to an individual accused by U.S. and Thai officials of involvement in transnational cyber-fraud scams.

Tools for Humanity told Business Insider it severed ties with a Thailand business partner and strengthened policies and controls after the reviews. The company also said it is not aware of facts establishing a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation by the company or its employees.

Thailand Rollout Adds Regulatory Pressure

Thailand has already become one of Worldcoin’s most sensitive markets. Local authorities have examined iris-scanning activity tied to Worldcoin, with Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation saying the case followed a referral from the Personal Data Protection Committee and that iris data is sensitive personal information requiring explicit and clear consent before collection.

That matters because Worldcoin’s model depends on biometric onboarding at scale. The project has argued that proof of personhood will become more important as AI agents and synthetic identities spread online, but regulators have repeatedly questioned how biometric data is collected, stored, consented to and monetized.

The Thailand allegations now add a business-conduct layer on top of the privacy debate. The issue is no longer only whether Orb signups comply with data-protection rules. Investigators and investors are also looking at partner selection, payment approvals, token-market incentives and whether local growth targets created compliance risk.

WLD has already been under heavy market pressure. The token recently drew a burst of speculative activity after flipping Dogecoin in 24-hour trading volume, but the broader chart remains damaged by unlock concerns and weak long-term demand. Earlier pressure left WLD nearly 98% below its peak, making any allegation about artificial token support especially sensitive.

Altman’s OpenAI Role Raises Governance Stakes

The probe also lands while Altman is under a brighter public-market spotlight. OpenAI, where Altman serves as CEO, has confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the SEC, moving one of the world’s most valuable AI companies toward a potential public listing.

That does not make Altman personally liable for alleged conduct at Tools for Humanity, and the current allegations remain tied to internal reviews rather than a public SEC enforcement action. The business risk is reputational and governance-related: investors are now watching how Altman-linked companies handle controls, token incentives, international partners and regulatory exposure at the same time OpenAI is moving toward public-market scrutiny.

Worldcoin’s market narrative has also become more volatile as AI-linked tokens swing between identity hype and liquidity risk. Arthur Hayes recently said Maelstrom sold WLD, HYPE and NEAR because the AI trade may be nearing its peak, putting WLD back inside a broader debate over whether AI-themed crypto assets can sustain demand beyond short-term speculation.