OpenAI data centre chief Chris Malone exits as executive churn intensifies
The departure follows a recent infrastructure reorganisation and adds to a tally of 13 senior exits in 2026, raising stability questions ahead of a potential IPO.
Chris Malone, OpenAI’s former head of data centres, has left the company, marking the latest in a series of high-profile executive departures. According to the Wall Street Journal, Malone departed last week after joining OpenAI in March 2025. Prior to his role at the artificial intelligence firm, he spent nearly five years at Meta and more than a decade at Google.
Malone’s tenure was relatively short, beginning shortly after the launch of the Stargate Project. This $500 million data centre initiative, championed by the Trump administration, aims to develop infrastructure in the United States. OpenAI is considered a key partner in the effort alongside Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Microsoft. Given the industry-wide frenzy around AI infrastructure buildout, turnover in such a critical role is particularly notable.
The exit follows a recent reorganisation of OpenAI’s infrastructure organisation, which the company stated was designed to support the scale and pace of its work. As part of this structural adjustment, Malone’s reporting line was shifted from President Greg Brockman to Vice President Sachin Katti, who took over leadership of the group. OpenAI noted that it now has a strong, deeply experienced data centre team in place with clear leadership.
Several other executives are currently overseeing the company’s data centre strategy. Uday Ruddarraju leads the data centre team, while Brent Mayo heads the data centre build and delivery program. Spas Lazarov, a veteran of the data centre and energy industries, leads all data centre engineering. The specific reason for Malone’s departure remains unclear, though the timing coincides with these internal changes.
Malone is not alone in his exit. Business Insider has tallied the total 2026 executive departure count at 13, with several leaving in just the last month. Recent high-profile departures include Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, former Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap, and Fidji Simo, the product and business chief who stepped down to recover from a chronic illness but remains in an advisory role.
The churn has raised questions about stability ahead of a potential IPO, which reports suggest has been pushed from 2026 to 2027. Co-founder Greg Brockman has noted that the intense spotlight on the company means every departure is scrutinised. As OpenAI undergoes reputational vetting for its looming listing, concerns have arisen that the company may be overvalued relative to its profitability and the gargantuan investments being made in the lab.
