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Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld

  • What Went Wrong at OpenAI?

    Days after he was suddenly fired, CEO Sam Altman returned to OpenAI on November 21, and the board that removed him was overhauled. We asked leadership expert Jeffrey Sonnenfeld how the company’s structure and the performance of the board contributed to the chaos.

    Sam Altman
  • Dialogue About the Middle East Is Possible—Indeed, It’s the Only Way to Peace

    A recent event held at Yale showed that discussions among Israelis, Arabs, and other concerned parties can help bring out points of commonality that may be the first steps on a path toward peace, argue Yale’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian.

    Photo of the Middle East Peace Summit
  • To Prevent a Wider War in the Middle East, Choke Off Iran’s Oil Sales

    Through its proxies, Iran is making aggressive moves against Israel and the U.S. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that the U.S. has an option for effective deterrence: cutting off Iran’s oil revenue by strengthening sanctions and imposing a price cap.

    A series of oil pipelines, with oil tanks in the distance
  • How Peace and Prosperity in the Middle East Can Still Be Reached

    Paradoxically, the invasion of Israel could could help accelerate progress toward regional peace, write Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, diplomat Dennis Ross, and investor Adam Boehler, former CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

    A satellite image of the eastern Mediterranean
  • The Russian Oil Price Cap Can Work Again

    With oil prices rising, Russia is finding ways around the price cap set earlier this year. But Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who advised on its implementation, writes that with rapid adjustments, the program can continue to hobble Vladimir Putin’s war effort.

    Oil pumps silhouetted against a sunset
  • The Budget Deal Is a Tragedy for Ukraine

    With hours to go before a government shutdown, Congress passed a short-term spending bill—but the deal came at the cost of aid for Ukraine. Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld writes that even if a separate funding bill eventually passes, the move weakens the coalition against Russia.

    Abrams tanks
  • What Awaits Ukraine Once the War Ends? Prosperity, For One Thing

    Once freed from Russian aggression, Ukraine will thrive, argues Prof. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld.

    Prof. Sonnenfeld visits students at the Kyiv School of Economics
  • What I Learned Debating Vivek Ramaswamy

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, who has tangled on cable news with the entrepreneur turned GOP candidate, says the key is to avoid following him down diversionary rabbit holes.

    Vivek Ramaswamy and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld appearing on CNBC’s Squawk Box in October 2022.
  • Horatio Alger Is a Hoax, But We Can Still Celebrate the American Dream

    Horatio Alger, the 19th-century writer whose name became shorthand for self-improvement, is in the news because of Justice Clarence Thomas’s connection to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. But Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld says that Alger’s story says more about mythmaking than it does about the American dream.

    An illustration of Horatio Alger with his characters standing on top of copies of his books
  • The Critics of Bidenomics Are Being Proven Wrong

    Yale SOM’s Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian write that much of the credit for the economic good news belongs to President Joe Biden and his transformative public investment programs.

    Joe Biden speaking in front of a "Bidenomics" sign