OpenAI also separated a core senior manager, this time involving data centre operations, with a particular focus on timing. Data centres have become one of the most critical implementation links of large model companies, as AI continues to increase its calculus and infrastructure.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the former head of the OpenAI data centre, Chris Malone, left the company last week. Malen had been in Meta for almost five years, worked in Google for more than 10 years, joined OpenAI in March last year for a short period.

Parallel to infrastructure expansion

Shortly after Malone joined OpenAI, the market began to focus on the Stargate data centre project. The project, which is about $500 million in size, is driven by the Trump Government and aims to build a data centre in the United States. OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Soft Silver and Microsoft were recognized as important partners in the project.

In the current context of the continuing warming of AI infrastructure inputs, the position responsible for data centre strategy is usually considered core. As a result, this position has changed and is prone to outside interest in the pace of company implementation.

OpenAI claims to have adjusted the team structure

OpenAI indicated to TechCrunch that the company had recently reorganized its infrastructure team to adapt to the current scale and pace of operations. According to the company, the existing data centre team still has a clear management structure and related technical capacity to continue with the planned implementation.

According to the Wall Street Journal, following this adjustment, Malen no longer reports directly to the president of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, and the team was moved to the vice president, Sachin Katti.

More than a dozen executives have left this year.

Malone's departure is not a case. Business Insider previously reported that OpenAI had separated 13 executives in 2026, many of whom had left within the last month.

  • Chief Receiving Officer Denise Dresser was replaced after approximately eight months.
  • Brad Lightcap, a long-time executive, announced his departure and prepared a new project.
  • Fidji Simo, Chief of Products and Operations, was transferred to the position of consultant because of chronic illness

In addition to line executives, the security and ethics team in OpenAI has also experienced a loss of staff. In July, the head of corporate ethics, Chloe Bakalar, left; last week there were reports that the preparedness team responsible for assessing the catastrophic risks of the model had been disbanded.

The market is ready for more scrutiny.

Ongoing personnel changes, as OpenAI prepares for listing. According to the report, OpenAI, which was supposed to be on the market this year, has been allegedly postponed to 2027.

As the listing schedule moves, the match between market valuation of OpenAI, profitability and large infrastructure inputs also continues to rise. Frequent top-level adjustments do not necessarily change the firm ' s expansion plans, but do bring greater external attention to its internal stability and governance.