OpenAI Appoints Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as New Applications Chief

Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI

Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI as Application CEO, the ChatGPT maker said on Thursday. Simo, already a board member at OpenAI, will transition out of Instacart over the next few months and join the AI company full-time later in the year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he would continue in his role, overseeing verticals like research, compute and applications. Simo would directly report to Altman. "Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group. Serving as an OpenAI board member over the past year, Fidji has already contributed a great deal to our company. She will transition from her role at Instacart over the next few months and join OpenAI later this year," Altman wrote in a blog post. Simo would also help OpenAI in scaling "traditional" company functions, Altman said, but he didn't provide further details. Simo has years of experience with product management and monetization. Before joining Instacart in 2021, she spent more than a decade at Meta -- leading the launch of ads on the News Feed; heading monetization for Facebook app, product development for Facebook Video; and helped build its advertising business. She exited Meta as head of the Facebook app. After joining Instacart, she helped take the company public in 2023. In a post on X, Simo said she would stay on as chair of the Instacart board. In a letter to Instacart employees, she said a current member of the company's management would replace her as CEO, and an announcement would be made soon. "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good," she said in a statement.

OpenAI hires former head of the Facebook app

Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. OpenAI has hired Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart and former Facebook app chief, as the head of the company's apps business. In a post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says introducing the new role will allow him to "focus on research, compute, and safety." After joining Facebook in 2011, the company appointed Simo head of the Facebook app in 2019. Simo oversaw features like the News Feed, Stories, live video, and more, helping to build out the company's advertising business. Instacart hired Simo as its CEO in 2021 and led efforts to bring the company public just two years later. Simo has served as an OpenAI board member since last year, but she won't leave Instacart right away to join the AI giant. In a post on LinkedIn, Simo tells Instacart staff that she's "not going anywhere for a couple of months," adding that she'll remain CEO until the company announces a successor. Apps have become a major part of OpenAI's business as ChatGPT has launched across iOS, Android, Windows, and macOS. OpenAI is also building an X-like social network, as The Verge reported in April.

Fidji Simo, ex-Instacart, Facebook to head OpenAI Apps team

Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is leaving to become CEO of Applications at OpenAI, reporting directly to Sam Altman, the AI heavyweight announced on Thursday. Altman will remain in charge of the GPT-maker and continue overseeing all major divisions, but he said bringing Simo on will allow him to increase his focus on research, compute, and safety systems, while she takes the lead on "enabling our traditional company functions to scale as we enter a next phase of growth." Simo is no stranger to OpenAI, having served on its board of directors since early 2024. But her background leans heavily toward consumer tech, not enterprise tools. Prior to becoming CEO of the gig-economy-era grocery delivery company, she spent more than a decade at Facebook (later Meta), where she led development of the main Facebook app from 2019 to 2021. Simo's experience could help OpenAI extract larger revenues from its costly R&D efforts sooner rather than later. OpenAI was projected to lose around $5 billion in 2024, despite generating $3.7 billion in revenue. In 2025, the outfit is reportedly targeting revenues of $12.7 billion. The privately held AI behemoth has rolled out a number of new subscription services and products, including a $200/month Pro subscription, which includes access to its Deep Research functionality, in a bid to bolster its cash flow. But hiring a consumer-focused product leader suggests a focus on end-users rather than businesses. While companies are certainly experimenting with AI and running pilots, major success stories are still scarce, and a recent survey by IBM found that three in four CEOs said that their AI pilots did not deliver the return on investment they expected. Simo won't be jumping into the deep end just yet - she won't officially join OpenAI until later this year. "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good," Simo said in a canned statement. Thursday's announcement comes just days after OpenAI abandoned its contentious bid to shed its nonprofit shackles. On Monday, the GPT-maker announced that while its for-profit subsidiary would transition to Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) as planned, its nonprofit parent company would remain in control. As we reported last year, Altman had hoped to shift control away from the nonprofit to the PBC. However, that plan was met with a lawsuit from rival mode-builder Elon Musk and along with criticism from former employees and AI researchers, who wrote a letter to the Attorneys General of California and Delaware calling on them to investigate the firm. ®

OpenAI hires Instacart CEO Fidgi Simo as head of applications, reporting to Altman

Fidji Simo, chief executive officer of Instacart Inc., speaks during a Bloomberg Studio 1.0 interview in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, March 3, 2022. OpenAI said late Wednesday that it's tapped Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as the head of its applications business, reporting to CEO Sam Altman. In a memo to employees that OpenAI published on its blog, Altman said that Simo, who joined the artificial intelligence startup's board last year, is assuming the title of CEO of Applications. "Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world," Altman wrote. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced that its nonprofit would retain control of the company even as it restructures into a public benefit corporation, bowing to pressure from civic leaders and ex-employees.

OpenAI Hires Instacart C.E.O. to Run Business and Operations

Sign up for the On Tech newsletter. Get our best tech reporting from the week. Get it sent to your inbox. OpenAI said late Wednesday that it hired Fidji Simo, the chief executive of Instacart, to take on a new role running the artificial intelligence company's business and operations teams. In a blog post, Sam Altman, OpenAI's chief executive, said he would remain in charge as the head of the company. But Ms. Simo's appointment as chief executive of applications would free him up to focus on other parts of the organization, including research, computing and safety systems, he said. "We have become a global product company serving hundreds of millions of users worldwide and growing very quickly," Mr. Altman said in the blog post. He added that OpenAI had also become an "infrastructure company" that delivered artificial intelligence tools at scale. "Each of these is a massive effort that could be its own large company," he wrote. "Bringing on exceptional leaders is a key part of doing that well." Ms. Simo, a member of OpenAI's board, will oversee sales, marketing and finance. She will report to Mr. Altman. OpenAI, which ignited a frenzy over A.I. with its ChatGPT chatbot, has grown rapidly and juggled multiple initiatives -- sometimes unsuccessfully. The San Francisco company has steadily released new A.I. models and products, including systems that can "reason." In March, it completed a $40 billion fund-raising deal, led by the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, that valued it at $300 billion and made it one of the most valuable private companies in the world. But OpenAI, which was set up as a nonprofit, has struggled to adopt a new corporate structure. As the commercial appeal of artificial intelligence has grown, the company had tried to remove itself from control by the nonprofit. That attracted scrutiny from critics such as Elon Musk, an OpenAI founder who sued the company and accused it of putting profit ahead of A.I. safety. The attorneys general of California and Delaware also scrutinized the restructuring. On Monday, OpenAI backtracked on the plan and said it would allow the nonprofit to retain its grip on the company. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, accusing them of copyright infringement regarding news content related to A.I. systems. OpenAI and Microsoft have denied those claims.) In a statement late Wednesday, Ms. Simo said that OpenAI "has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good." She added in a memo to Instacart employees that she had a "passion for A.I. and in particular for the potential it has to cure diseases" and that "the ability to lead such an important part of our collective future was a hard opportunity to pass up." Ms. Simo will remain at Instacart for the next few months as the company names a successor, a role she said would be filled by a member of Instacart's management team. She will also remain on the company's board as its chairperson. "Today's announcement is not a reflection of any changes in our business or operations," Instacart said in a statement.

OpenAI names Instacart leader Fidji Simo as new CEO of Applications

Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More Last night, OpenAI published a blog post on its official website authored by CEO and co-founder Sam Altman announcing a major new hire: Fidji Simo, currently CEO and Chair at grocery delivery company Instacart, will join OpenAI as CEO of Applications, a newly created executive position. Simo will step into her new role at OpenAI later in 2025 following a transition period. She will report directly to Altman and lead the Applications division, which includes teams responsible for translating OpenAI's research into products used by consumers and businesses worldwide. Simo also shared a message with her team at Instacart, which she later posted publicly on her LinkedIn profile, stating: "This was an incredibly hard decision because I love this company... At the same time, you all know my passion for AI generally and in particular for the potential it has to cure diseases -- the ability to lead such an important part of our collective future was a hard opportunity to pass up." She further wrote: "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good." Altman was clear to state he will remain the CEO of the entire ChatGPT company, but that the organization's growing scope across AI research, product delivery, and infrastructure meant it was time for the creation of a new division with its own executive leader. Altman said he plans to devote increased focus to Research, Compute, and Safety Systems, which will continue reporting directly to him. He reiterated that all functions will remain integrated under a single OpenAI structure, including its nonprofit arm. Simo will remain Instacart's CEO for the coming months and help onboard her successor, who is expected to come from the company's existing management team. She will continue serving as Chair of the Instacart Board after stepping down as CEO. OpenAI's evolving structure and AI stack Altman emphasized the strategic importance of the new role, noting that OpenAI has evolved beyond its original identity as a research lab. Over the past two and a half years, the company has grown into a global product provider and, more recently, an infrastructure builder delivering AI tools at large scale. "We're in a privileged position to be scaling at a pace that lets us do them all simultaneously, and bringing on exceptional leaders is a key part of doing that well," Altman wrote in his blog post. He described Simo as uniquely qualified to lead the Applications group, citing her leadership experience, operational expertise, and alignment with OpenAI's mission. Separately, in prepared testimony before the U.S. Congress today, Altman also included a chart showing how OpenAI views the "AI stack" it offers customers, and how the entire industry is divided into three core buckets or "layers": Also in that testimony, Altman revealed more examples of what OpenAI considers to be part of the AI applications layer, among them, chatbots such as its hit ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot (also powered in part by AI models): "Ultimately, both the infrastructure and platform layers support the applications layer. These are devices and software applications that use AI to deliver better services to people. ChatGPT and 4 Microsoft's Copilot are both examples of AI applications. One of the amazing things about the applications layer is it's not just companies - large or small or established or startup - that are creating AI applications. It's everybody. It's researchers using new AI-infused applications to change drug discovery. It's non-profits changing the way they deliver services. It's teachers using AI as a tool to improve the way they prepare material for a classroom. It's governments making everything from the filing of a tax return to the renewal of a driver's license easier and more efficient. To build a new AI economy, it's critical to get all three of these layers working and to get a flywheel turning across the ecosystem. It's essential to build the infrastructure layer so people can develop and deploy the models at the platform layer. It's essential to use the AI models so that people will build the applications on top of them. And it's essential for customers to adopt the applications, so the market can grow, and drive increased investment to expand the infrastructure further. The process repeats itself. This is how a new economy is born." More OpenAI team members shared praise for Simo on social media, mainly X, where Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Kate Rouch wrote of the new hire: "She's all signal. No noise. Highest integrity leader I know. Very good news: for OpenAI, for all of us." Caitlin Kalinowski, who is a member of the technical staff at OpenAI and leads its hardware and robotics vision, also took to X to post, in part: "We couldn't be luckier to have her deep experience and warm leadership style. Welcome, Fidji!!!" Simo boasts an impressive track record focused on turning tech into viable businesses Simo joined OpenAI's board in March 2024 and brings extensive leadership experience in technology, consumer platforms, and healthcare innovation. At Instacart, she oversaw the company's public debut and a series of business milestones, including scaling its advertising business and launching new offerings. Before that, she spent a decade at Facebook, where she led the core Facebook app and was responsible for key product areas including Video, Marketplace, Groups, and Ads. She is also the co-founder of the Metrodora Institute, a clinic and research center focused on neuroimmune disorders, where she serves as President of the Metrodora Foundation. In addition to her board seat at OpenAI, Simo sits on the boards of Shopify and previously Cirque du Soleil. With this leadership appointment, OpenAI is signaling a deeper focus on scaling its consumer and enterprise-facing AI offerings. By establishing a dedicated CEO role for its Applications division, the company aims to build stronger operational infrastructure while aligning with its broader mission to develop AI that benefits the public. Implications for enterprise technical decision makers For enterprise stakeholders building on OpenAI's models, this leadership move could signal important changes in how OpenAI develops, packages, and delivers its software interfaces and tools. The creation of a dedicated Applications division reflects a deeper commitment to the operational scale and reliability that large organizations increasingly demand from AI vendors. As the company matures from a research-centric entity into a provider of business-critical infrastructure and applications, users may see improvements in product stability, integration support, and roadmap clarity -- areas where traditional software vendors have long invested, but newer AI entrants are still catching up. Simo's appointment may also hint at a broader productization push within OpenAI. Her background at Facebook and Instacart underscores a focus on monetizing complex platforms and converting experimental technologies into widely adopted consumer and enterprise solutions. Enterprise leaders watching for cues on OpenAI's future direction might reasonably expect an expansion in verticalized offerings, developer tooling, and support for enterprise-grade deployments. More broadly, the move acknowledges a shift happening across the AI industry: successful adoption increasingly depends not just on model quality or research novelty, but on how well these systems integrate into the operational realities of businesses. As OpenAI grows its executive bench to reflect that need, it's aligning more closely with the enterprise audience it now serves -- an audience that values not only performance and innovation but reliability, control, and product maturity.

OpenAI Hires Former Meta and Instacart Exec in Leadership Reshuffle - Decrypt

Simo will remain Instacart CEO during the transition, later becoming Chair of the board. AI research organization OpenAI has appointed grocery delivery platform Instacart's CEO, Fidji Simo, to lead its Applications division as CEO Sam Altman steps back from day-to-day product oversight to focus on research and safety. Altman, who remains CEO, said the change will allow him to prioritize "research, compute, and safety," areas he described as "critical as we approach superintelligence." "Fidji is exceptional," Altman tweeted Wednesday. "We have worked together on OpenAI for the past year and I have observed her deep commitment to our mission." The move marks a restructuring of OpenAI's leadership as it accelerates efforts toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). "In her new role, Fidji will focus on enabling our "traditional" company functions to scale as we enter a next phase of growth," Altman said in the company announcement. Simo, who has led Instacart since 2021, will remain in that role during a transition period and then shift to Chair of the board. Before joining Instacart, Simo spent a decade at Meta (then Facebook), where she served as Head of the Facebook App. In that role, she led development across core features including News Feed, Stories, Groups, Marketplace, and Facebook Live. "It will be such a privilege to work with such a talented team on one of the most important and ambitious endeavors in history," she tweeted following the announcement, also citing her admiration for OpenAI President and co-founder Greg Brockman as a factor in her decision. The reshuffle comes amid broader organizational and legal developments at OpenAI. The company is converting its for-profit unit into a public benefit corporation while maintaining nonprofit control, a structure meant to ensure public interest is prioritized alongside investor returns. Microsoft, its largest backer, is reportedly waiting for further clarity before endorsing the plan. The leadership changes at OpenAI come amid growing scrutiny of Altman's crypto-powered biometric ID project, World. Co-founded by Altman and Alex Blania, the project aims to verify identity using iris scans in exchange for its WLD token, but regulators are increasingly pushing back. On Monday, Kenya's High Court ordered the World Foundation to delete all biometric data collected in the country. The court found the data had been obtained without valid consent and criticized the use of crypto as an inducement. Days earlier, Indonesian authorities suspended World's operations entirely, citing violations of electronic system regulations, including operating without proper registration and using another entity's credentials. Despite international setbacks, the project recently launched in six major U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Miami, and Austin.

From French fishing roots to OpenAI exec: What we know about Fidji Sim

The rising star from the south of France was the first in her family of fishermen to graduate university, talked her way into a job at eBay, and is now joining OpenAI. OpenAI announced a new hire on Thursday, a woman from the south of France who has leapt the C-suites of Silicon Valley and was once a Sheryl Sandberg mentee. Fidji Simo, a 39-year-old tour de force, will report directly to Sam Altman as CEO of applications, and according to Altman, will help OpenAI in scaling "traditional" company functions. Here is everything we know about the rising tech star and her new role. Simo grew up in Sète, a port city in southern France. She comes from a family of fishermen and has often talked about the importance of food in interviews. She said she is the first person in her family to go to university, which was thanks to a scholarship. She studied at HEC in Paris from 2004-2008, and through the programme, was able to do an internship at eBay in the United States. She said it was there she "fell in love with technology". She said she then convinced eBay to give her a job in the US. After staying a couple of years at eBay, she then went on to join Facebook in the marketing department, which she said "propelled her career". She often tells the story that she got her big break at Facebook during a Thanksgiving weekend. Rather than take holiday, she decided to work on concepts for Facebook by imagining a shopping experience. She then pitched this to a hiring manager, asking for a job. After eight years at Facebook, in which former chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg was one of her mentors, in 2019, she climbed the ranks to an executive position as head of the Facebook app. One year after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and following Sandberg's departure from Facebook, Simo also left and took a position that went back to her roots. Simo became the CEO of the online grocery delivery company Instacart in 2021. She helped turn the company's fortunes around, and she forged partnerships with Uber for restaurant delivery through Instacart via Uber Eats, giving both companies a competitive edge over rival DoorDash. On Friday, Simo, in an open letter to Instacart employees, said that it was "an incredibly hard decision" to leave "because I love this company", adding that the staff was "top notch". But she said: "At the same time, you all know my passion for AI generally and in particular for the potential it has to cure diseases - the ability to lead such an important part of our collective future was a hard opportunity to pass up". Simo has often spoken about health in the workplace and opened up about her own case of endometriosis. Simo was already on the board of OpenAI. She will transition out of Instacart over the next few months and take up her new position full-time later this year. Her new role in Applications will bring together "a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world," Altman said in a blog post. "Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group," he added. Altman said he would continue in his role, overseeing verticals like research, compute, and applications. In the same blog post, Simo said: "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility". "This organisation has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before, and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good".

Instacart's Fidji Simo is OpenAI's new applications CEO

Simo is expected to leave Instacart in the coming months to take on her new role later this year. Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart and a former high-ranking executive at Meta has joined OpenAI as its CEO of applications. As part of her new role, Simo will be enabling the AI start-up to scale and grow further, CEO Sam Altman said in a blog yesterday (7 May). She will be working under Altman, who will directly oversee all of OpenAI's arms. This comes just days after OpenAI altered its restructuring plans which would have given a newly created corporation power over the non-profit which controls the $300bn start-up. Earlier this year, the company raised $40bn, however, $10bn of the raise from SoftBank hinges on its ability to complete the for-profit restructuring. In an X post, Altman explained that the new hire will allow him to sharpen his focus on research, compute and safety as the start-up aims to approach AI "superintelligence". Simo, who joined OpenAI's board last year, is "uniquely qualified" to lead applications at the start-up, Altman said. She is expected to leave Instacart in the coming months to take on her new role later this year. She will, however, continue to remain as the chairperson of the company's board. Commenting on her upcoming role, Simo said: "This organisation has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good." While in an email to Instacart employees, Simo shared her passion for AI and its potential to cure diseases. "The ability to lead such an important part of our collective future was a hard opportunity to pass up." The Instacart chair and CEO is also one of Shopify's board members. She previously held several positions at Facebook, including as the CEO of Facebook App under Meta, VP of video games at the company and director of product management. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news. Fidji Simo on the Pullman Stage in 2014. Image: Official Leweb photos via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

OpenAI appoints former Instacart, Meta executive Fidji Simo as CEO of Applications - SiliconANGLE

OpenAI appoints former Instacart, Meta executive Fidji Simo as CEO of Applications OpenAI has appointed prominent tech executive Fidji Simo as its new Chief Executive Officer of Applications. The artificial intelligence provider announced the move in a late Thursday blog post. Simo will be responsible for several aspects of OpenAI's business that were previously overseen by CEO Sam Altman. Citing a source familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported today that Simo's areas of responsibility will include finance and product development. "Fidji will focus on enabling our 'traditional' company functions to scale as we enter a next phase of growth," Altman wrote in a memo to employees. "In addition to supporting Fidji and our Applications teams, I will increase my focus on Research, Compute, and Safety Systems, which will continue to report directly to me." Simo is currently the CEO of Instacart, a publicly-traded grocery delivery provider incorporated as Maplebear Inc. Before joining the company in 2021, she spent a decade at Meta Platforms Inc., most recently as the head of Facebook. She has also co-founded a health clinic and research foundation focused on curing neuroimmune disorders. During her four years at Instacart, the food delivery significantly improved its profitability. Its adjusted EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, soared 243% in 2023 and grew another 38% last year to $885 million. Improving profitability is likely a major priority for OpenAI, which reportedly lost $5 billion last year and only expects its cash flow to become positive in 2029. In addition to improving Instacart's finances during her tenure as CEO, Simo oversaw the launch of several new products. Last February, the company introduced AI-powered shopping carts called Caper Carts that retailers can use to provide cashierless checkout in their stores. More recently, Instacart rolled out a new delivery app called Fizz. Simo's extensive experience in launching products for the consumer market may indicate that this market will become a bigger focus of OpenAI's development roadmap. Last month, rumors emerged that the AI provider was considering launching a social network. The company has reportedly already built an internal prototype of the service. Somi is not the only member of OpenAI's leadership team who previously worked in the social media market. OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil, who joined last June alongside Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, was earlier the vice president of product for Instagram. Bloomberg's source said that Weil, Friar and OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap will report to Simo going forward. In a Thursday memo to Instacart employees, Simo wrote that she will remain at the company for "a couple of months." The food delivery provider expects to appoint one of its other executives as CEOs.

OpenAI Appoints Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to Lead New Applications Division

Simo, who has been a member of OpenAI's board for the past year, will now report directly to Altman. ChatGPT maker OpenAI has announced the appointment of Fidji Simo, current CEO of Instacart, as its first-ever CEO of Applications. Simo took to X to share this news: "So excited to be joining OpenAI and contributing to its mission," she said, thanking Sam Altman for the opportunity. "It will be such a privilege to work with such a talented team on one of the most important and ambitious endeavors in history." She also said she's moving because of her strong passion for AI and its potential to help cure diseases. Simo, who has been a member of OpenAI's board for the past year, will now report directly to Altman. Although Altman remains at the helm of the organisation, he explained that this appointment will enable him to focus more on research, infrastructure, and safety, which are areas he considers crucial as OpenAI advances towards the creation of superintelligence. At the same time, OpenAI is making a foundational change to its corporate structure by converting its for-profit arm into a public benefit corporation (PBC). Originally established as a nonprofit, OpenAI has maintained a distinctive governance structure since its founding. In 2019, it created a for-profit limited liability company (LLC) under the control of the nonprofit to draw investment while limiting returns. This LLC is now being transitioned into a PBC -- a shift the company believes is more in line with its mission and the changing landscape of artificial intelligence. In line with its global ambitions, the company also launched a new initiative called OpenAI for Countries, supporting national governments in building AI infrastructure aligned with democratic principles. The initiative is part of the broader Stargate project, a collaboration with Oracle and SoftBank, first announced in January alongside President Donald Trump.

Why OpenAI Just Tapped Instacart's CEO to Take Over Some of Sam Altman's Duties

Late at night on May 7, OpenAI leader Sam Altman made a surprising announcement: He's offloading major parts of his job to a new partner: Instacart CEO Fidji Simo. In a significant structural change, Altman says that Simo will be OpenAI's new CEO of Applications, and will oversee the company's efforts to build AI-powered products and services. In a letter to OpenAI's employees posted on the company's website, Altman wrote that OpenAI is being restructured into three major "pillars": Research, Compute, and Applications. Simo, who has served on OpenAI's board for the last year, will lead the Applications section. She will be responsible for scaling up OpenAI's "traditional company functions," such as developing new products and growing the company's API business. Altman says he will shift his own focus to OpenAI's Research and Compute pillars. The Research division is responsible for training and building new AI models, while the Compute division is focused on building data center infrastructure to enable AI models to be trained and used. Altman also said he's increasing his focus on OpenAI's safety systems. In a statement included in Altman's note, Simo wrote that "joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility. This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good."

'An Incredibly Hard Decision': OpenAI Taps Instacart CEO to Oversee ChatGPT

Fidji Simo, the CEO of Instacart, announced earlier this week that she would be joining OpenAI as CEO of its Applications business later this year. A leading e-commerce executive will soon head OpenAI's applications business. Instacart CEO Fidji Simo, 39, announced on Wednesday in a LinkedIn post that she is leaving the grocery delivery service to join OpenAI as CEO of Applications later this year. In the new role, she will lead OpenAI's products, including ChatGPT, and report directly to CEO Sam Altman, 40. Simo wrote that she will remain CEO of Instacart "for a couple of months" to ensure a smooth transition. Even after she leaves, she will remain the chair of Instacart's board. "Let me start by saying this was an incredibly hard decision because I love this company," Simo wrote in the LinkedIn post, which was a copy of a message she sent to the Instacart team. Related: 'Our Mission Remains the Same': OpenAI Reverses Course, Says Its Nonprofit Will Remain in Control of the Business Simo wrote that her "passion for AI" and "the potential it has to cure diseases" persuaded her to join OpenAI. Wired reported on Wednesday that OpenAI is in talks with the FDA to use AI for drug evaluations, potentially speeding up the time it takes for a drug to hit the market. Simo, meanwhile, is co-founder and president of a medical research center called Metrodora, which focuses on diagnosing and treating neuroimmune disorders. "The ability to lead such an important part of our collective future was a hard opportunity to pass up," Simo stated. In an OpenAI blog post on Wednesday, Altman wrote that Simo, who joined OpenAI's board last year, had "already contributed a great deal" to the company. He did not provide specific examples of Simo's contributions, but wrote that she would now be responsible for helping lead the company through a new phase of growth. In March, OpenAI finalized a $40 billion fundraising round that valued the company at $300 billion. This week, OpenAI announced that its non-profit arm would continue to control its for-profit business to ensure OpenAI's mission of AI that "benefits all of humanity." The Applications division is one of OpenAI's three core businesses (Research and Compute and the other two). Altman wrote in a post on X that Simo's appointment means he can focus more on research as the company works towards superintelligence, AI that surpasses human intelligence in all areas. Bloomberg reports that OpenAI's Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar, and Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil will report to Simo when she joins OpenAI. Simo has been the CEO of Instacart since 2021, leading the company through the pandemic and to a September 2023 initial public offering. Since the company went public, Instacart shares have grown by over 47% at the time of writing. The company saw its first quarter revenue for 2025 increase 9% year-over-year to $897 million, with order volume up 14%. Before Instacart, Simo worked at Meta for a decade and held the role of vice president and head of the Facebook app from 2019 to 2021. She introduced ads to the Facebook app and built Facebook Live, overseeing a team of 6,000 people.

Who's Fidji Simo, new ChatGPT head at OpenAI?

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo as the chief executive office of applications in a major leadership addition to the AI company. She will join OpenAI later this year and report to the Sam Altman, who remains the overall CEO of the AI platform.Fidji Simo, the chief executive of Instacart, is set to join OpenAI as its chief of applications. Sam Altman, the cofounder and CEO of the ChatGPT maker said she will report to him and that he remains head of the company. She will start her new job at OpenAI later this year. This came in the same week that OpenAI dialed back a significant restructuring plan, with its nonprofit parent retaining control in a move that is likely to limit Altman's power. Here's all we know about Simo. About her: Simo, 39, has led the online grocery delivery firm to profitability since taking the helm in 2021. Instacart went public on the Nasdaq in September 2023. Social media play: Simo was at social media giant Meta Platforms for a decade, including as the head of Facebook from 2019 until 2021 and currently sits on the board of Shopify. On board: Simo was also among the three directors that joined OpenAI's board in March last year after Altman returned as CEO following an investigation into the events surrounding his ouster from the AI company in late 2023. What of Instacart? The company will name a new CEO soon, and Simo will stay on as Chair to support the transition. Exits and entry OpenAI has seen a wave of senior-level exits over the past year, particularly among its AI safety and research leadership. Ilya Sutskever: Cofounder and former chief scientist, Sutskever left in May 2024 after nearly a decade at OpenAI. He later launched Safe Superintelligence, a startup focused on developing safe artificial general intelligence (AGI). Jan Leike: Co-led OpenAI's now dissolved Superalignment team with Sutskever. Leike resigned shortly after Sutskever, citing disagreements over OpenAI's priorities and a perceived deprioritisation of safety in favour of product development. He joined Anthropic as Head of alignment science. John Schulman: A cofounder and key figure in developing reinforcement learning with human feedback (RLHF) for ChatGPT; left in August 2024 to join Anthropic. Mira Murati: Chief technology officer Murati resigned in September 2024 to pursue personal projects. Her departure followed internal tensions over the company's focus on commercial products. Barret Zoph: Vice president of research, Zoph resigned around the same time as Murati, citing personal reasons for his departure.

OpenAI appoints Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as CEO of applications

OpenAI has named Fidji Simo as the CEO of applications, reporting to CEO Sam Altman. Altman will concentrate on research, compute, and safety as OpenAI approaches "superintelligence." Simo, an OpenAI board member since March 2024 and Shopify board member since December 2021, currently serves as the CEO of Instacart.ChatGPT maker OpenAI has appointed Fidji Simo as the chief executive office of applications. She will report to the company's CEO Sam Altman. In a social media post welcoming Simo, Altman said that he will remain the CEO of OpenAI, but in the new configuration will be able to focus on research, compute and safety as the AI platform approaches "superintelligence". Simo has has been on the OpenAI board since March 2024. She is also part of the Shopify board since December 2021. She currently works as the CEO of grocery delivery service Instacart. She has worked with Facebook, leading the app division, gaming and monetisation, and product management across her more than 10 years of association with the social media company.

OpenAI Taps Instacart CEO Fidji Simo As Chief Of Applications, Sam Altman To Focus On 'Research, Compute And Safety' Amid Superintelligence Push - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)

OpenAI has appointed Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to the newly created role of CEO of Applications, reporting directly to Sam Altman as the artificial intelligence powerhouse restructures its leadership to prepare for future AI advancements. What Happened: Altman announced the appointment on his X account on Wednesday, stating he will remain CEO of OpenAI but plans to increase "focus on research, compute and safety" which he described as "critical as we approach superintelligence." The leadership change comes as OpenAI continues rapid expansion following its ChatGPT success, with Altman expressing confidence that Simo will help scale the company "10x (or 100x, let's see)." Simo confirmed in her own X post that she will remain Instacart CEO "for the next few months" before transitioning to chair of the board. She expressed excitement about "contributing to its mission" at OpenAI, calling it "one of the most important and ambitious endeavors in history." Neither executive specified which applications would fall under Simo's purview or when she would officially begin her new role. See Also: US Foods, ConocoPhillips And 3 Stocks To Watch Heading Into Thursday Why It Matters: The appointment appears to align with OpenAI's reported leadership restructuring plans. OpenAI was in talks to bring in a senior tech executive to oversee several divisions while Altman would continue leading the company's research and infrastructure teams, critical units driving AI development. This leadership change follows recent developments where OpenAI reportedly told investors it plans to decrease the share of revenue it allocates to Microsoft Corp. MSFT. This occurred after announcements that OpenAI's nonprofit parent organization will maintain control of the company. Read Next: House GOP Representatives Want To Axe Federal EV Credit Amid Trump's Tax Cuts: Report Image Via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. MSFTMicrosoft Corp$435.100.40%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum73.53Growth65.08Quality36.13Value13.93Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewGot Questions? AskWhich AI sectors will benefit from Simo's leadership?How will OpenAI's restructuring impact tech stocks?What companies could face risks from OpenAI's leadership changes?Which applications might see accelerated growth due to Simo?How could Microsoft adapt to revenue changes?Which investments align with OpenAI's new direction?What are the potential impacts on Instacart following Simo's transition?How might AI advancements reshape consumer markets?Which technology firms could benefit from OpenAI's focus shift?What opportunities arise in AI startups due to this leadership change?Powered ByMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

OpenAI Picks Instacart Chief Fidji Simo to Oversee Operations | PYMNTS.com

Sam Altman, the artificial intelligence (AI) startup's chief executive, announced the appointment Wednesday (May 7). In a statement shared on the OpenAI blog, Altman wrote that the move is in response to the firm's evolving role, becoming a "global product company," an infrastructure company, and a non-profit. "Each of these is a massive effort that could be its own large company," he said. "We're in a privileged position to be scaling at a pace that lets us do them all simultaneously, and bringing on exceptional leaders is a key part of doing that well." According to Altman, Simo will focus on helping OpenAI's "traditional" functions scale as it moves into a new phase of growth. "Applications brings together a group of existing business and operational teams responsible for how our research reaches and benefits the world, and Fidji is uniquely qualified to lead this group," he said. Altman will remain as the company's overall CEO. Simo is expected to transition from her post at Instacart in the coming months, joining OpenAI later in the year. "Joining OpenAI at this critical moment is an incredible privilege and responsibility," Simo said. "This organization has the potential of accelerating human potential at a pace never seen before and I am deeply committed to shaping these applications toward the public good." The news comes days after OpenAI revealed it was scaling back its plans to shift from a non-profit model to a for-profit entity. The company's new corporate plan will allow its non-profit arm to retain control of the board while becoming the largest shareholder in a new public-benefit corporation. Board chair Bret Taylor said directors reversed course after "hearing from civic leaders" and regulators, saying the arrangement was "extremely close" to the existing structure. Altman described the compromise as "well enough for investors that they're happy to continue to fund us." As PYMNTS noted earlier this week, the company is asking those investors for a significant amount of funding. In March, OpenAI told backers it aims to raise $40 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank that would value the company at approximately $300 billion. "Maintaining nonprofit control could complicate that effort but may help defuse a lawsuit from co-founder Elon Musk, who accuses OpenAI of straying from its public-interest mandate," PYMNTS wrote.

Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to join OpenAI as head of applications

(Reuters) -Instacart head Fidji Simo will step down to join OpenAI as its chief of applications, CEO and co-founder Sam Altman said on Thursday, adding she will report to him and that he will remain head of the Microsoft-backed ChatGPT maker. The announcement comes two days after OpenAI dialed back a significant restructuring plan, with its nonprofit parent retaining control in a move that is likely to limit Altman's power. Simo, who joined OpenAI's board last year, will move from her role at Instacart in the coming months and start her new job later this year, the artificial intelligence company said in a blog post late Wednesday. Instacart will name a new CEO soon, and Simo will stay on as Chair to support the transition, she said in an email to employees. "Today's announcement is not a reflection of any changes in our business or operations," Instacart, which forecast second-quarter core profit above Wall Street estimates this month, said in a statement to Reuters on Thursday. (Reporting by Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)