Fidji Simo Steps Down from OpenAI's No. 2 Role
Original: Fidji Simo steps down from OpenAI’s no. 2 role
Why This Matters
Simo's exit creates a significant leadership gap as OpenAI prepares for a potential IPO and competes with Anthropic.
OpenAI's CEO of Applications Fidji Simo announced via an internal staff note on July 9, 2026, that she is stepping down from her full-time role due to a prolonged medical leave stemming from a relapse of a neuroimmune condition, transitioning to a part-time advisory role.
Fidji Simo, who joined OpenAI in May 2025 as CEO of Applications — a role reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman — is leaving her full-time position, the Wall Street Journal reported. In a staff note, Simo said her medical leave has been 'longer and harder than expected.' She will move to a part-time advisory capacity. In her role, COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil (who has since departed) all reported to her, while Altman shifted focus to research, compute, and safety. Simo first disclosed her health issues in April 2026. Before OpenAI, she was CEO of Instacart, leading its 2023 IPO, and spent over a decade at Meta. Her departure comes as OpenAI — valued at $852 billion — eyes a potential IPO and faces enterprise competition from Anthropic, an area where ChatGPT missed internal revenue targets late last year. Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, former CEO of Slack, is seen as a possible candidate for expanded responsibilities.