Fidji Simo, OpenAI's No. 2, Steps Down Over Chronic Illness, Becomes Part-Time Adviser

Fidji Simo, the second-in-command at OpenAI, announced on Thursday that she would leave her full-time role at the artificial intelligence company and transition to a part-time advisory position. Simo, 40, had been on medical leave since April after a severe exacerbation of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a chronic neuroimmunological condition she was diagnosed with in 2019.

It became clear that the road to recovery would be much longer and more complex than I had anticipated -- and that I needed to focus on it fully.

What she built at OpenAI

Simo joined OpenAI's board in March 2024 while still running Instacart, the grocery delivery firm she took public in 2023. A year later she left Instacart to become OpenAI's first chief executive of applications, charged with overseeing engineering, product and business teams. Her title was later changed to chief executive of AGI deployment, a reference to artificial general intelligence. During her tenure she presided over the launch of advertising in ChatGPT, a strategic move to open new revenue streams as the company prepared for an initial public offering.

How her duties will be handled

In an internal message seen by the Wall Street Journal, Simo wrote that her responsibilities would be divided permanently among three senior leaders: president Greg Brockman, chief financial officer Sarah Friar, and chief strategy officer Jason Kwon. No direct successor was named. Brockman had already assumed oversight of product during Simo's leave, while CFO Friar and strategy head Kwon had taken on other parts of her portfolio. The arrangement will now become permanent.

really sad about this and very grateful...we all wish her the best for a speedy recovery. this sucks.

Executive turnover and IPO timeline

Simo's exit is the latest in a series of high-level moves at OpenAI. Brad Lightcap left his long-time post as chief operating officer this year to focus on special projects. Chief marketing officer Kate Rouch stepped down in April to concentrate on cancer recovery, and Kevin Weil, who oversaw science research, departed the same month. The company filed confidentially for an IPO earlier this year, though the New York Times reported that it may wait until 2027 to go public. Rival Anthropic has also filed its own IPO prospectus.

What comes next

Simo will continue to collaborate with OpenAI as a part-time advisor. In her social media post she reiterated her belief in the power of AI to help people with health, finances and daily burdens, calling the ability to cure diseases "the most important thing that AI can accomplish". Her departure removes one of the highest-profile executives from a company navigating a critical commercial expansion while trying to sustain its lead in generative AI.