Were they ever missionaries in the first place? I imagine the founders and early employees were. But do you think most people hired after ChatGPT became a household name were in it for the vision?

At this point, I think everyone at OpenAi is adept at speaking out of both sides of their mouths.

Corporate culture taking its cue from leaders, after all.

'I'm doing this solely for the mission' -> (makes choices that maximize financial benefit)

I read a few biographies for western missionaries to Asia, they all ended up get paid handsomely, except those not lived long enough see that day.

The missionaries to Latin America that followed the conquistadors were largely Dominicans, Franciscans, etc who took vows of poverty. A few got encomiendas but they were by far the exception. Few missionaries got rich on that continent.