Fidji Simo steps down from OpenAI’s no. 2 role

Fidji Simo, the second-in-command at OpenAI, is stepping back from her full-time position, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. In a communication to staff on Thursday, Simo revealed that her medical leave has been more prolonged and challenging than initially anticipated. Consequently, she will shift to a part-time advisory role. Simo joined OpenAI’s board of directors in 2024 and took on the role of CEO of Applications in May 2025. This position, which was newly established, allowed her to oversee the company’s business and product operations directly under CEO Sam Altman. This restructuring also saw COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil reporting to her, while Altman concentrated on research, computing, and safety. Initially, Simo disclosed her health issues in April, announcing her medical leave due to a relapse of a neuroimmune condition. In the same announcement, it was noted that Lightcap transitioned into a new role focused on special projects, and CMO Kate Rouch left the company to devote time to her cancer recovery. Since then, Weil has also departed from OpenAI. Before her tenure at OpenAI, Simo served as CEO of Instacart, leading the company through its IPO in 2023. She also spent over ten years at Meta, where she managed the Facebook app. With Simo’s decision to step back, Altman now faces the challenge of finding a successor at a crucial time when OpenAI is considering a public offering and striving to close the gap with competitor Anthropic. Simo had been anticipated as a strong candidate for expanded responsibilities post-IPO, making her departure a significant gap for CEO Sam Altman. Her focus had been on enhancing OpenAI’s consumer business, but the growth of ChatGPT has slowed, missing internal revenue goals. This has prompted the company to intensify efforts in coding tools, an area where it still trails behind Anthropic.