OpenAI’s Head of Products and Business, Fidji Simo, has announced that she will step down from her executive role and transition to a part-time advisory position after experiencing complications from a chronic illness.
In a post on social media, Simo disclosed that she had taken extended medical leave three months ago following what she described as a “severe exacerbation of a chronic illness”. She said her recovery is now expected to be longer and more complex than initially anticipated, prompting her decision to step back from day-to-day leadership responsibilities.
Simo served as OpenAI’s second-most senior executive after Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, making her departure a significant leadership change for the artificial intelligence company as it prepares for a widely anticipated initial public offering (IPO), expected either later this year or in 2027.
Before joining OpenAI, Simo held senior leadership positions at Facebook and later served as Chief Executive Officer of online grocery platform Instacart, earning a reputation as one of the technology industry’s leading executives.
At OpenAI, she was responsible for overseeing the company’s consumer products and business operations. She also led the development of the company’s new “superapp”, which was unveiled earlier on Thursday as part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to expand its consumer ecosystem.
Her departure comes at a pivotal moment for OpenAI. The company has been seeking to strengthen its competitive position amid intensifying rivalry in the artificial intelligence sector, particularly from Anthropic, as growth in ChatGPT has slowed this year.
At the same time, OpenAI has been restructuring its financial operations and working to reduce cash burn ahead of its planned stock market listing, with investors closely watching the company’s ability to balance rapid innovation with sustainable growth.
Simo did not indicate when she expects to resume a more active role, but said she would continue supporting OpenAI in an advisory capacity during her recovery.
