OpenAI exec Fidji Simo steps down from her role due to chronic illness
In a shocking turn of events, OpenAI’s product and business chief, Fidji Simo, announced she is stepping down from her role at the ChatGPT manufacturer to entirely focus on recovery after a “severe exacerbation of a chronic illness.”
For those unaware, Simo got diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, in 2019, and stated she’s been spending “countless hours in doctors’ offices, dealing with symptoms, treatments, insurance, uncertainty, and all the invisible work that comes with being a patient.“
She stepped away from OpenAI in April for a medical leave. OpenAI President Greg Brockman took over product responsibilities in Simo’s absence.
In April, she took a medical leave, during which OpenAI President Greg Brockman oversaw product responsibilities.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Simo wrote, "Today, I shared with the OpenAI team that I have decided to leave my full-time role at OpenAI and transition to being a part-time advisor."
“When I went on leave, many people told me I was courageous for prioritizing my health. The truth is that I am only making this decision now because I failed to make it many times before,” she added.
Simo said she will transition into a role as a part-time advisor at OpenAI.
Fidji Simo's Journey at OpenAI
In May 2025, OpenAI recruited Simo as an applications business leader. Before that, she served at Meta for over a decade, including serving as the head of Facebook between 2019 and 2021.
When announcing her appointment last year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Simo would lead the company's applications business and help scale its operations during its next phase of growth.
Looking back
Simo also reflected on a previous opportunity to take a year-long medical leave while working at a tech giant Facebook, stating she immediately declined it.
She revealed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had strongly recommended her to "play the long game," adding that she now wishes she had followed that advice.
Altman expressed gratitude to Simo for her contributions to OpenAI and praised both her leadership and friendship, saying he was grateful for everything she had brought to the company.
