OpenAI executive Fidji Simo steps down after chronic illness worsens
Simo will remain with OpenAI as a part-time adviser after leaving her executive role
OpenAI's head of product and business, Fidji Simo, announced she is stepping down from her executive role after a severe flare-up of a chronic illness, saying she needs to prioritise her recovery.
CNBC reported that Simo, who has been on medical leave since April, said she will transition to a part-time advisory role at the artificial intelligence company.
Fidji Simo cites chronic illness for departure
In a post on X, Simo revealed that a "severe exacerbation" of Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) prompted her decision to step away from her executive position.
Diagnosed with POTS in 2019, she said living with the condition has involved "countless hours in doctors' offices, dealing with symptoms, treatments, insurance, uncertainty, and all the invisible work that comes with being a patient."
"When I went on leave, many people told me I was courageous for prioritising my health," Simo wrote.
"The truth is that I am only making this decision now because I failed to make it many times before."
Simo added that she would remain involved with OpenAI as a part-time adviser.
OpenAI leader joined company in 2025
Simo joined OpenAI in May 2025 after stepping down as chief executive of Instacart, where she led the grocery delivery company through its public listing.
At OpenAI, she oversaw the company's product and business operations as it expanded its commercial offerings.
Following her medical leave in April, OpenAI president Greg Brockman assumed responsibility for the company's product organisation.
Chief executive Sam Altman thanked Simo for her work, writing on X that he was grateful for both "her contributions to OpenAI" and "her friendship and who she is as a person."
Simo reflects on turning down medical leave
Simo also reflected on an earlier period in her career at Meta, where she spent more than a decade in leadership positions before becoming Instacart's CEO.
She revealed that two years after becoming ill, Meta offered her a year-long medical leave, but she declined.
"I immediately said no," Simo wrote, adding that Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had encouraged her to "play the long game."
"I wish I had listened," she said.
Her departure comes as OpenAI continues its rapid expansion. The company confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) last month, although it has not announced a timeline for a public listing.