Brad Lightcap, one of the longest-serving executives at OpenAI, has announced he will be leaving the AI lab to "start something new." He shared the news in an internal message that he posted online on Tuesday.
Lightcap joined OpenAI in 2018. He served four years as the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) before becoming chief operating officer (COO) in 2022. Earlier this year, amid an executive reshuffle, his role changed and he moved to lead special projects within the company.
Before joining OpenAI, Lightcap worked with CEO Sam Altman at the venture capital firm Y Combinator.
What he said
In his message, Lightcap wrote that he had the privilege of building the initial versions of many of OpenAI’s operations and business teams, including Finance, Legal, People, Corporate Security, Go-to-Market/Government, Partnerships and more. He praised the leadership of those teams and noted how they have matured under talented leaders.
He also signaled plans to pursue a new venture, saying that over the past few months he had been focused on "the next horizon and what would stand in the way of mission success." He offered few specifics about his next project, saying only that he will share more soon, that he believes in OpenAI’s mission "more than ever," and that he looks forward to supporting the mission from a different vantage point.
Wider leadership changes at OpenAI
Lightcap’s departure comes amid broader turnover at OpenAI’s senior ranks as the company prepares for an IPO that observers expect would be significant for the industry. In July, Fidji Simo, who led AGI development and was considered the company’s No. 2 executive, announced she would step down. Other executives from less central areas have also left recently, including Bill Peebles, who previously led the now-canceled Sora video generator, and Kevin Weil, vice president of the company’s Science vertical.
Lightcap’s note emphasizes his continued support for OpenAI even as he moves on to new endeavors and suggests he will remain engaged with the mission from outside the company.
