Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of AGI deployment and No. 2 executive, is stepping down from her full-time role at the company and transitioning to become a part-time adviser, according to both Wired and TechCrunch.
The move follows a prolonged medical leave. According to Wired, Simo wrote in a post Thursday on X that “three months ago, I had to go on medical leave after a severe exacerbation of a chronic illness I’ve lived with for seven years.” She added that “it became clear that the road to recovery would be much longer and more complex than I had anticipated—and that I needed to focus on it fully.”
According to Wired, Simo was diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in 2019 and experienced a significant health relapse shortly before starting at OpenAI. In an April memo to staff, she stated: “For my entire time here, I’ve postponed medical tests and new therapies to stay completely focused on the job and not miss a single day of work.”
According to TechCrunch, Simo joined OpenAI’s board of directors in 2024 and became CEO of Applications in May 2025, a newly created role reporting directly to Sam Altman. The position consolidated the company’s business and product operations, with COO Brad Lightcap, CFO Sarah Friar, and CPO Kevin Weil reporting to her.
Previously, Simo was CEO of Instacart and head of the Facebook app at Meta, according to both sources.