Fidji Simo Departs from OpenAI’s Second-in-Command Position

Fidji Simo, who held the position of No. 2 executive at OpenAI, is stepping down from her full-time role due to an extended medical leave that has proven more challenging than she anticipated. In a note to staff, she announced that she would transition into a part-time advisory position. Simo joined OpenAI’s board in 2024 and became the CEO of Applications in May 2025, overseeing business and product operations under CEO Sam Altman.

Her appointment came amid a broader reshuffling of the company’s leadership, which included changes in reporting structures, allowing Altman to concentrate on research and safety. Simo revealed her health issues in April, when she disclosed a medical leave due to a relapse of a neuroimmune condition. This announcement also coincided with other significant changes in OpenAI, including the exit of Chief Marketing Officer Kate Rouch as she focused on cancer recovery, and the departure of Kevin Weil from the company.

Before joining OpenAI, Simo was the CEO of Instacart, which she led through its IPO in 2023, and she spent over a decade at Meta, where she managed the Facebook app. Her resignation leaves an important gap in OpenAI’s leadership, especially as the company is considering an IPO and needs to enhance its competitive position against rivals like Anthropic.

While Simo aimed to expand OpenAI’s consumer business, the company’s growth with ChatGPT has recently slowed, prompting a shift towards enhancing its coding tools, where they are currently lagging behind competitors.

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