OpenAI loses a top data center exec as stream of high-profile departures continues — SkimNews
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- Chris Malone, OpenAI's head of data centers, left the company last week per the Wall Street Journal, with his exit following a reorganization that shifted his reporting line from president Greg Brockman to VP Sachin Katti.
- OpenAI's 2026 executive departure count has reached at least 13 per a Business Insider tally, including CRO Denise Dresser (8-month tenure), longtime COO Brad Lightcap, and de facto second-in-command Fidji Simo.
- OpenAI's safety apparatus has thinned, with head of ethics Chloé Bakalar departing in July and the company's preparedness team — focused on catastrophic AI risk — reportedly disbanded last week.
- OpenAI's IPO, originally expected this year, has been pushed to 2027, and the article directly cites concerns that the company may be overvalued and that profitability doesn't match its gargantuan infrastructure spending.
- OpenAI has redistributed Malone's responsibilities across Uday Ruddarraju, Brent Mayo, and Spas Lazarov, all currently overseeing elements of its data center strategy.
Why it matters: OpenAI's 2026 brain drain now includes its CRO, COO, de facto second-in-command, head of data centers, and head of ethics, with the preparedness team also disbanded. The article ties these exits directly to the reputational vetting that comes with a looming IPO, and explicitly raises concerns about overvaluation and a profitability gap against infrastructure investments — material issues for any 2027 public-market debut.
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