Fidji Simo, OpenAI exec steps down amid serious health scare—what's next?

Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s executive has stepped down after sharing an announcement on social media on Friday, July 10, 2026.

Simo was heading the company’s product and business department.

In a statement on X (formerly called Twitter), Simo stated her health issues as the reason for her exit from the artificial intelligence company to focus on recovery after a “severe exacerbation of a chronic illness.”

Simo revealed she has been battling with chronic illness Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, known as POTS, after her diagnosis in 2019.

“Over the last seven years, I’ve spent countless hours in doctors’ offices, dealing with symptoms, treatments, insurance, uncertainty, and all the invisible work that comes with being a patient,” Simo continued.

She was replaced by OpenAI President Greg Brockman after she stepped away from OpenAI in April this year.

While sharing what’s next in her career at the artificial company, she said she will transition to a new role as part-time advisor.

Simo joined OpenAI in May last year to lead the company’s applications business.

In her other roles at OpenAI, Simo served as CEO of Instacat and was key player in taking the company public.

It marked an historic milestone in tech IPOs: a company had traded shares publicly in three decades.

OpenAI filed for an IPO last month, and a week after, its market competitor Anthropic followed suit.

However, OpenAI has not shared a timeline for a public market debut and is reportedly putting plans on the back burner at least next year.

Simo has been a long-time player in the tech world, having spent over a decade in leadership roles at Meta, stepping in as head of Facebook from 2019 until 2021.