Greg Brockman, president and co-founder of OpenAI, officially assumed responsibility for the company's most important and profitable projects on Thursday after Fidji Simo stepped down from her role as product and business chief due to chronic illness. Simo, diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in 2019, transitioned to a part-time advisor position after serving approximately one year and taking medical leave in April. The leadership change occurs as OpenAI prepares for a prospective IPO following its confidential filing with regulators in June, with the company currently valued at $852 billion.
Brockman Assumes Product and Business Leadership Responsibilities
Brockman took over product responsibilities during Simo's absence and will continue to lead those efforts, according to a source familiar with the company's plans. Brockman will oversee OpenAI's ChatGPT product business, go-to-market teams, enterprise teams and compute initiatives. Simo, a former Meta executive and ex-CEO of Instacart, had focused the company's roadmap and helped it scale during her tenure.
"I am deeply grateful for all Fidji has done for OpenAI and to advance our mission, and for the opportunity to have worked alongside her for the past few years," Brockman wrote in a post on X on Friday.
Reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman, Brockman faces pressure to bring in revenue and justify OpenAI's $852 billion valuation as the company gears up for what is expected to be a historic IPO. OpenAI confidentially filed its prospectus with regulators in June, though the company has not disclosed when it plans to debut and is reportedly delaying until next year.
ChatGPT Market Share Falls Below 50% Amid Rising Competition
OpenAI faces increasingly stiff competition from rivals including Anthropic, Google and Elon Musk's SpaceX, along with cheaper open-weight models primarily out of China. ChatGPT's market share fell below 50% for the first time in March, according to a report from Sensor Tower. OpenAI has been aggressively touting its AI coding assistant, Codex, in an effort to win over more users.
OpenAI Maintains Lean Executive Structure Without Simo Replacement
Sarah Friar, OpenAI's finance chief, and Jason Kwon, the company's strategy chief, will report to Altman. The company does not plan to hire anyone to replace Simo, according to the source familiar with the plans.
Brockman and Altman Partnership Survives 2023 Ousting and 2026 Musk Lawsuit
Brockman co-founded OpenAI alongside Altman and a group of others, including Musk, in 2015. He and Altman have been close allies. When Altman was briefly ousted from his role as CEO in 2023, Brockman quit the company in solidarity. Both men rejoined OpenAI days later.
"Greg and I are partners in running this company," Altman wrote in a blog post at the time. "We have never quite figured out how to communicate that on the org chart, but we will."
Both were at the center of a high-profile legal brawl earlier this year. Musk sued Brockman, Altman and the company, alleging they went back on commitments they made to keep the AI lab a nonprofit. In federal court in Oakland, California in May, Brockman testified about the startup's early years and pushed back on Musk's account of events. He was grilled about his personal financial ambitions, his understanding of OpenAI's structure and Musk's involvement at the company.
Musk ultimately lost the case after an advisory jury said he waited too long to sue, a verdict that was immediately adopted by a federal judge.
"I think the tech we are developing is transformative," Brockman said from the witness stand. "This is going to be the most important technological shift in human history."
FAQ
Why did Fidji Simo step down from OpenAI?
Fidji Simo stepped down on Thursday due to chronic illness. She was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in 2019, took medical leave in April, and transitioned to a part-time advisor position.
What responsibilities does Greg Brockman now have at OpenAI?
Greg Brockman oversees OpenAI's ChatGPT product business, go-to-market teams, enterprise teams and compute initiatives. He reports directly to CEO Sam Altman and assumed these responsibilities during Simo's absence.
When did OpenAI file for its IPO?
OpenAI confidentially filed its prospectus with regulators in June. The company has not disclosed when it plans to debut and is reportedly delaying until next year.
