OpenAI's Dual-CEO Structure Shakes Up Tech Landscape

As of mid-November 2025, the AI research company OpenAI has a unique dual-CEO structure. Sam Altman continues to lead the overall company, managing research and compute, while Fidji Simo, the former CEO of Instacart, has joined as CEO of Applications.

Simo, who started in her new role at OpenAI this past August, has been working remotely from Los Angeles due to a relapse of her postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that makes her prone to fainting if she stands for long periods. However, she remains highly engaged with the company, often popping into Slack channels and threads to share thoughts and ask questions. Employees confirm that Simo is "present from 8 am to midnight every day, responding within five minutes," ensuring she can be reached immediately.

Simo's primary focus is to turn OpenAI's research breakthroughs into profitable, must-have consumer products. She faces stiff competition from tech giants like Google and Meta, as well as AI startups founded by OpenAI alumni. "The thing that keeps me up at night is that the intelligence of our models is well ahead of how much people are using them," Simo says. "I see my job as closing this gap."

Since joining, Simo has overseen the launch of Pulse, a product that connects to users' calendars and provides personalized information, and has also created a jobs platform to help people find roles utilizing their AI skills. She is also doubling down on improving ChatGPT's responses for users experiencing acute mental health crises. In the future, Simo will likely be responsible for deciding how to roll out ads in ChatGPT's free tier.