OpenAI’s No. 2 executive Fidji Simo steps down, shifting to advisory role

OpenAI’s No. 2 executive, Fidji Simo, is stepping down from her full-time role after her medical leave proved longer than expected, transitioning to a part-time advisory role instead. Simo joined OpenAI’s board in 2024 and became CEO of Applications in May 2025, a role that consolidated business and product operations under her leadership. Her appointment included overseeing COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil, while Sam Altman stepped back to focus on research, compute, and safety.

Simo’s departure follows her April disclosure of a neuroimmune condition requiring medical leave, which also coincided with Lightcap moving into a ‘special projects’ role and CMO Kate Rouch leaving the company. Kevin Weil has since left OpenAI as well. Simo’s focus at OpenAI was on growing the company’s consumer business, though ChatGPT’s growth cooled late last year, prompting a shift toward coding tools where OpenAI trails Anthropic.

Her exit occurs as OpenAI launches its GPT-5.6 family of models—Sol, Terra, and Luna—and introduces a new agent, ChatGPT Work, both framed as targeting Anthropic. The company’s executive ranks appear thin for an entity valued at $852 billion, with Altman, Lightcap, Friar, and co-founder Greg Brockman comprising the core leadership alongside chief revenue officer Denise Dresser, who may take on a larger role.

Simo’s departure also follows OpenAI’s April 2025 decision to shorten its vesting cliff for new hires from 12 months to six months, and its December 2025 elimination of the cliff entirely, allowing equity to vest from day one. The company projected spending $6 billion on stock-based compensation in 2025 alone.