The departure leaves Sam Altman with a significant leadership vacancy as the firm navigates a cooling growth phase for ChatGPT and prepares for a potential IPO. Simo’s role was central to the company’s structural pivot, which saw top executives like COO Brad Lightcap and CFO Sarah Friar reporting to her while Altman focused on research and safety. Her exit follows a period of heavy turnover, including the departure of CPO Kevin Weil and CMO Kate Rouch.
In section Startups & Technology
Fidji Simo steps back from OpenAI leadership role
A lingering health crisis has forced Fidji Simo to abandon her post as OpenAI’s No. 2 executive. Simo, who joined the company in May 2025 to oversee business and product operations, will transition to a part-time advisory position after a medical leave proved more taxing than she initially anticipated.
Simo joined OpenAI from Instacart, where she led the company through its 2023 public offering, bringing a decade of experience from Meta to the AI startup. Her move to a part-time advisory capacity creates an immediate challenge for Altman, who must now find a successor capable of bridging the enterprise gap with rival Anthropic. With ChatGPT missing internal revenue targets late last year, the company is shifting its focus toward coding tools, an area where it currently trails its competitors.
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