In a significant shift for OpenAI, three top executives, including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, have announced their departures amid a tumultuous period for the company. Murati, along with Vice President of Research Barret Zoph and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew, revealed their exits via posts on X on Wednesday afternoon.
The San Francisco-based AI company is currently negotiating a new financing round valued at $6.5 billion, which would elevate its worth to $150 billion, contingent upon a major restructuring. Reports indicate that OpenAI plans to transition to a for-profit benefit corporation and provide CEO Sam Altman with an equity stake, a move that would alter the current governance structure, which is controlled by a non-profit board.
This unusual arrangement previously led to Altman’s brief ousting in November 2023 due to communication breakdowns and trust issues within the board. He was reinstated five days later, highlighting the internal challenges faced by the organization.
While the funding round is still in progress, the recent executive departures may have implications for investor confidence. Some fundraising documents include a “material adverse change” clause, allowing investors to withdraw if significant negative developments occur.
Murati, who is still with OpenAI as she negotiates her exit, has been with the company for over six years. She briefly served as CEO in November when Altman was temporarily removed. Murati joined OpenAI in December 2020 as VP of Applied AI and Partnerships and was promoted to CTO in May 2022. She has been a prominent figure in the company’s public engagements, notably leading presentations for major product launches, including the GPT-4o model.
In her announcement on X, Murati expressed her desire to create “time and space to do my own exploration.” Her departure follows a series of high-profile exits from OpenAI, including co-founder John Schulman, who joined rival Anthropic, and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, who left in May.
In response to the news, Altman noted that he was not informed in advance of Murati’s decision. He acknowledged her desire to leave the company on a high note, stating that “there is never a good time” for such transitions. Altman also took the opportunity to announce several internal promotions, including Matt Knight to Chief Information Security Officer and Josh Achiam to head of Mission Alignment.
As OpenAI navigates these leadership changes, the implications for its ongoing restructuring and fundraising efforts remain to be seen.
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