OpenAI has lost at least 14 senior and core employees in 2026, with departures spanning commercial, product, safety, ethics, research and infrastructure as the company reorganizes ahead of an anticipated IPO. Business Insider counted 13 exits through Aug. 21, while The Wall Street Journal later reported that Chris Malone, who managed OpenAI’s data centers, had also left following an infrastructure reshuffle reporting to Sachin Katti and President Greg Brockman. CEO Sam Altman is streamlining operations by cutting costly side projects and focusing on revenue, a shift that has effectively demoted some senior leaders and coincided with health-related and other exits, including former COO Brad Lightcap, chief revenue officer Denise Dresser, Fidji Simo, Kevin Weil and chief marketing officer Kate Rouch. Brockman has reasserted day-to-day authority over infrastructure and product after a 2024 sabbatical, with API and app lead Thibault Sottiaux saying everyone ultimately reports to him. OpenAI filed confidentially for a U.S. listing in June but is not expected to go public until 2027; losses are reported to be growing alongside revenue while rival Anthropic is said to be profitable, intensifying scrutiny of leadership stability, a new $520 million Bank of America credit line and a valuation approaching or exceeding $1 trillion.