Okay, now exactly half of xAI’s founding team has left the company

In a significant shakeup at xAI, co-founder Yuhuai (Tony) Wu announced his departure from the company late Monday night, signaling a pivotal moment in his career. "It’s time for my next chapter," Wu shared in a heartfelt message on X, emphasizing the potential of agile teams to revolutionize the tech landscape. Less than 24 hours later, another co-founder, Jimmy Ba, who reported directly to Elon Musk, followed suit, revealing his exit in a gracious post on X. Ba expressed his gratitude to Musk for the opportunity, stating, "So proud of what the xAI team has done and will continue to stay close as a friend of the team." These departures are more than just routine transitions; they mark a concerning trend for the organization. With Wu and Ba’s exits, six out of the twelve founding members have now left, with five departures occurring within the last year alone. Notable exits include Kyle Kosic, who moved to OpenAI in mid-2024, and Christian Szegedy, a veteran from Google, who departed in February 2025. Recently, Igor Babuschkin left to establish a venture firm, while Greg Yang stepped away last month due to health reasons. While these departures have reportedly been amicable, they come at a time when the company faces mounting pressure. The demanding leadership style of Musk, combined with the recent acquisition of xAI by SpaceX and an impending IPO, has created a challenging environment. Furthermore, the current AI startup landscape offers lucrative opportunities, prompting top researchers to consider launching their own ventures. The company is also grappling with issues related to its flagship product, the Grok chatbot, which has faced criticism for erratic behavior and internal discrepancies. Additionally, changes to xAI's image-generation tools have led to the proliferation of deepfake pornography, resulting in legal repercussions. As the company prepares for an IPO, the stakes have never been higher. With increasing scrutiny on the horizon and ambitious plans for orbital data centers, xAI must retain its talent and enhance its offerings. If Grok does not keep pace with competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic, the upcoming IPO could be jeopardized, highlighting the urgent need for stability within the team.