Fidji Simo steps down from OpenAI’s no. 2 role

Fidji Simo, who held the number two executive position at OpenAI, is stepping down from her full-time role due to a medical condition that has required longer recovery than expected. She will transition to a part-time advisory position instead. Simo had joined OpenAI in May 2025 as CEO of Applications, a newly created role where she oversaw business and product operations and managed several other executives. Her departure leaves OpenAI's leadership searching for a successor at a time when the company is considering an initial public offering and competing with other AI companies in the enterprise market.