Barret Zoph departs OpenAI five months after returning to lead enterprise AI sales

Barret Zoph has departed OpenAI for a second time, five months after returning to the company in January 2026, The Verge reported. Zoph had rejoined OpenAI to lead its enterprise AI sales efforts, a role the company framed as central to its focus on core revenue drivers ahead of a planned IPO.

OpenAI confirmed Zoph’s departure to The Verge and stated he posted a farewell message in the company’s internal Slack channels. Zoph did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zoph’s return to OpenAI in January followed a prior stint as co-founder and CTO of Thinking Machines Lab, a competing AI company founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. His departure from Thinking Machines Lab in January 2026 was reported as abrupt and involved alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague, according to The Verge.

Thinking Machines Lab has had notable ties to OpenAI, including Murati’s temporary role as OpenAI CEO during Sam Altman’s ouster in November 2023 and testimony during the recent OpenAI trial. In September 2024, Murati left OpenAI to launch Thinking Machines Lab, accompanied by several OpenAI employees, including Zoph, who later returned to OpenAI together in January 2026.