[Zolde]

He may have wanted Sam out, but not to destroy OpenAI.

His existential worries are less important than OpenAI existing, and him having something to work on and worry about.

In fact, Ilya may have worried more about the continued existence of OpenAI than Sam after he was fired, which looked instantly like a: "I am taking my ball and going home to Microsoft.". If Sam cared so much about OpenAI, he could have quietly accepted his resignation and help find a replacement.

Also, Anna Brockman had a meeting with Ilya where she cried and pleaded. Even though he stands by his decision, he may ultimately still regret it, and the hurt and damage it caused.