Brad Lightcap, OpenAI's longtime chief operating officer, is leaving the company to pursue a new venture. In a message to staff, Lightcap called the departure "bittersweet" and said he is "moving on from OpenAI to start something new." He joined the company in 2018 and spent four years as chief financial officer before ascending to COO, a role he held from 2022 until earlier this year when he transitioned to lead special projects amid a broader executive shakeup.
Prior to OpenAI, Lightcap worked with CEO Sam Altman at venture capital firm Y-Combinator. In his farewell note, Lightcap reflected on building "the first versions of most of our operations and business teams," including Finance, Legal, People, CorpSec, GTM/Gov, and Partnerships. He hinted at a future venture while offering few specifics, stating he has "been focused on the next horizon and what would stand in the way of mission success."
Lightcap's departure is part of a broader leadership transition at OpenAI as the company prepares for a significant IPO. Other recent departures include Fidji Simo, the company's No. 2 executive who led AGI development, as well as Bill Peebles, who formerly headed the Sora video generator, and Kevin Weil, vice president of the Science vertical.