I guess you don't know, jl is pg's wife, they started hn together before they were married. It's not an employer giving a 'friend' a break, it's a co-founder taking a year off from their successful company.

pg already stepped back from the day-to-day, handing the reins over to Sam Altman.

That's why your comment comes across as strange. You've been here nearly 7 years, surprised you didn't know that.