Simo said her chronic neuroimmune condition had worsened and she will shift from medical leave to a part-time adviser role as OpenAI weighs a possible 2026 or 2027 IPO after a confidential June filing.
OpenAI President Fidji Simo is stepping back from daily operations and leaving her full-time role because of a chronic neuroimmune condition, after taking medical leave in April 2026. Simo told staff her condition had worsened and that her recovery would take longer than expected; she will remain at the company as a part-time adviser. Greg Brockman, OpenAI's president and co-founder, had already assumed product responsibilities during her absence and will continue overseeing ChatGPT, go-to-market and enterprise teams, and compute initiatives, reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman. The leadership change comes as OpenAI confidentially filed for a possible IPO with the SEC in June 2026, with reports indicating no firm listing date and internal debate over whether a market debut would come in 2026 or 2027.