Fidji Simo to step down from OpenAI role after chronic illness flare-up
OpenAI’s product and business chief said she will leave her full-time post and become a part-time adviser after taking medical leave in April.
By Marcus V. Thorne · Markets Editor
· 2 min read
Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s product and business chief, said Thursday she will step down from her role and move into a part-time advisory position as she focuses on recovery from a chronic illness. The change removes a senior executive from a key product and commercial post at one of the most closely watched artificial intelligence companies.
Simo said in a post on X that the decision followed a “severe exacerbation of a chronic illness,” according to CNBC. She had taken medical leave from OpenAI in April, and OpenAI President Greg Brockman assumed responsibility for product work during her absence, CNBC reported.
Simo was diagnosed in 2019 with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, according to CNBC. The condition prompted her latest step back from executive duties, she said in her post.
“When I went on leave, many people told me I was courageous for prioritizing my health,” Simo wrote on X, according to CNBC. “The truth is that I am only making this decision now because I failed to make it many times before.”
Simo joined OpenAI in May 2025 after leaving Instacart, where she had served as chief executive, CNBC reported. At OpenAI, her title covered both product and business operations, putting her near the center of how the company develops services and brings them to customers.
The role matters because product and business leadership is where an AI developer turns research capability into usable tools, pricing structures, customer relationships and distribution. In Simo’s absence, Brockman’s assumption of product duties meant those responsibilities were handled by one of OpenAI’s senior founders and executives, according to CNBC.
OpenAI has not announced additional succession details in the information reported by CNBC. The company’s leadership structure will be watched by customers, partners and competitors because product execution is a central factor in how AI companies convert model development into revenue-generating services.
Simo’s move to a part-time advisory capacity leaves her connected to the company while reducing her day-to-day operating responsibilities. According to CNBC, she framed the change as a health decision following her medical leave rather than a shift in corporate strategy.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
