Media365
As OpenAI races to commercialise artificial intelligence at unprecedented speed, one of the executives leading that effort is stepping back. Fidji Simo, the company’s chief of applications, said she will leave her full-time role and become a part-time adviser after a prolonged medical leave to focus on recovering from a chronic illness.
Simo said that her health setback had made it clear she could not continue in the role at full pace for now. She will remain connected to the company in an advisory capacity.
“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 wrote in a post on X.
“During that time, 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.”
Her exit comes at a crucial moment for the ChatGPT maker, which has been expanding aggressively across consumer and enterprise products while facing mounting pressure in the global AI race.
Living with a chronic illness
Simo said she has been dealing with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) since 2019. The condition affects blood flow and can cause symptoms such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat and extreme fatigue.
She described the toll of managing the illness as both physically draining and emotionally exhausting, saying she had spent “countless hours in doctors’ offices” dealing with treatment plans, insurance issues and the uncertainty that comes with a long-term medical condition.
Looking back, Simo said she had repeatedly delayed putting her health first.
“When I went on leave, many people told me I was courageous for prioritising my health,” she wrote. “The truth is that I am only making this decision now because I failed to make it many times before.”
She also recalled her years at Meta, where she had once turned down a year-long medical leave despite encouragement from Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg.
“Mark told me I should play the long game. I wish I had listened,” she said.
Important role in OpenAI’s expansion
Simo joined OpenAI in May 2025 to lead the company’s applications business as it worked to turn its AI models into products for consumers and businesses at scale.
At the time, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said she would help strengthen the company’s business operations as it entered a new phase of growth.
During her medical leave, OpenAI president Greg Brockman took over responsibility for product operations.
Simo was also one of the three independent directors appointed to OpenAI’s board in March 2024, after the governance crisis that briefly saw Altman removed before being reinstated as chief executive.
Altman on Thursday said he was saddened by her decision and thanked her for her contribution to the company.
“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,” he wrote on X.
Veteran of Silicon Valley
Before joining OpenAI, Simo was chief executive of grocery delivery company Instacart, where she oversaw the firm’s public listing after one of the longest gaps in US tech IPOs.
She had earlier spent more than a decade at Meta, where she held several senior leadership roles, including leading the Facebook app between 2019 and 2021.
Her departure underscores the pressure on senior leaders at OpenAI, which has been expanding rapidly while also preparing for a possible future public listing. The company confidentially filed for an initial public offering last month, though a market debut is not expected before next year.
For now, Simo says she will step away from the demands of a full-time executive role and focus on recovery, even as she continues to support OpenAI from the sidelines.
