One of OpenAI’s top executives is stepping away from daily leadership. Fidji Simo says her recovery from a chronic illness now requires her full attention, bringing an unexpected leadership change at one of the world’s leading AI companies.
OpenAI executive Fidji Simo has announced that she will step down from her full-time leadership role and transition to a part-time advisory position. She said the decision will allow her to focus on recovering from a chronic neuroimmune condition.
Simo took a medical leave of absence three months ago after her condition worsened. She revealed that managing her recovery alongside the demands of leading one of the world’s fastest-growing AI companies had become increasingly difficult.
Before joining OpenAI, Simo served as the chief executive of Instacart and spent more than a decade at Meta, where she led the Facebook app.
She joined OpenAI in 2025 and later became the company’s CEO of AGI Deployment, overseeing product, business and commercial operations. During her time at OpenAI, Simo helped expand the company’s commercial strategy. She also played a key role in reshaping its product roadmap, including a stronger focus on enterprise AI tools and coding products.
OpenAI has already outlined how her responsibilities will be shared. President Greg Brockman, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar and Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon will take over different parts of her portfolio as the company continues its expansion.
Despite stepping away from daily operations, Simo says she will remain closely connected to the company. She will continue serving as a part-time adviser and expressed confidence in OpenAI’s mission and leadership. Chief Executive Sam Altman thanked Simo for her contributions and voiced his support for her recovery.
He described her as an important leader who helped shape OpenAI during a period of rapid growth. Simo’s departure comes as OpenAI continues to expand its AI products and prepares for its next phase of growth.
The leadership transition highlights the intense demands of building frontier AI technologies, even for the industry’s most experienced executives.
Her decision also carries a broader message. The technology industry often celebrates relentless ambition and rapid innovation.
Simo’s choice is a reminder that long-term success also depends on knowing when to put health first.
