OpenAI's No. 2 Fidji Simo steps back to part-time advisor amid IPO run-up

Fidji Simo, hired in May 2025 as OpenAI's CEO of Applications with Brad Lightcap, Sarah Friar, and Kevin Weil reporting to her, is moving to a part-time advisory role as her neuroimmune-condition leave runs longer than expected. Her exit thins an already-lean executive bench right as OpenAI eyes an IPO at an $852B valuation and leans harder into coding tools to close the gap with Anthropic — leaving Altman to fill a No. 2 role many expected her to grow into.

Source: techcrunch.com ↗

i am really sad about this and very grateful for all fidji has done for openai, and even grateful for her friendship and who she is as a person.

Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO

Why this matters

→ OpenAI loses experienced No. 2 executive weeks before potential IPO
→ Thinning leadership bench amid intensifying competition with Anthropic
→ Altman must fill gap while steering company toward public markets

Leadership vacuum at liftoff