Here are the key xAI figures who have departed in the recent exodus

xAI, the artificial intelligence startup founded by Elon Musk, is grappling with a significant loss of talent as several top executives announce their departures. In the past few days, two cofounders and multiple employees have chosen to leave the company, which aims to compete with giants like Google and OpenAI. This wave of resignations follows Musk's recent announcement that xAI would merge with his space venture, SpaceX. The billionaire claimed that this merger would enable the creation of AI data centers in orbit. SpaceX is preparing for a major public offering later this year, potentially valuing the company at an impressive $1.5 trillion, which could provide a much-needed financial boost to xAI, especially after the startup reportedly lost billions last year. Since its inception in 2023, xAI has faced numerous challenges, including backlash over inappropriate AI-generated content from its chatbot, Grok. This latest exodus adds to the ongoing turbulence within the startup. Notably, nearly half of the original cofounders have departed, signaling a troubling trend for the company. On Tuesday, cofounder Tony Wu announced his resignation, expressing gratitude to Musk for the journey he experienced at xAI. Wu, a former Google researcher, had been directing xAI's reasoning initiatives since last year. Just 48 hours later, Jimmy Ba followed suit, also stepping down as a cofounder. He previously led the startup's AI tutoring efforts and publicly thanked Musk while reflecting on the achievements of xAI. In addition to Wu and Ba, Hang Gao, a member of the technical team, shared his exit on social media. He had contributed to developing Grok's AI video generator and described his tenure as uniquely memorable. Vahid Kazemi, who had a brief stint at xAI after working at OpenAI, also announced his departure, citing a desire for more creative opportunities in the AI landscape. Other notable exits include Ayush Jaiswal, who worked on Grok and indicated he would be taking time off to focus on family and personal projects, and Shayan Salehian, who left after seven years at Twitter and X to pursue new ventures aimed at accelerating scientific progress. Simon Zhai, another technical team member who joined xAI in October 2025, expressed his gratitude for the experience before his departure. As xAI navigates these changes, the future of the startup remains uncertain, particularly in light of its ambitious goals and the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence.