Chris Malone, OpenAI’s head of data centers, has departed from the company, further contributing to the recent trend of executive exits at the AI startup.
Malone joined OpenAI in March 2025, having previously worked as a ‘distinguished engineer’ on data center infrastructure at Meta and Google. He played a key role in managing OpenAI’s ambitious infrastructure initiatives, including a goal to spend approximately $600 billion on computing resources by 2030.
Malone’s exit follows several other high-profile departures this month. OpenAI’s revenue chief, Denise Dresser, unexpectedly announced her departure after less than a year in the position. This followed Brad Lightcap, another veteran executive, who revealed he was leaving after eight years to pursue new opportunities.
Along with Dresser and Lightcap, Fidji Simo—former OpenAI product and business chief—announced last month she would step down to concentrate on managing a chronic illness. Additionally, four other executives left the company in April.
Malone’s departure comes amid heightened tensions over AI infrastructure in the U.S., where opposition to data centers is quickly growing. Last week, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) highlighted in a memo that data centers are emerging as a “sleeper issue” for the entire midterm election cycle.
“We recently reorganized our infrastructure organization to support the scale and pace of our work,” an OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement. “We have a strong, deeply experienced data center team in place, with clear leadership and the technical expertise to execute our plans.” The series of executive departures has caught some investors off guard, especially as the company aims to justify its $852 billion valuation ahead of what is expected to be a significant IPO.
OpenAI confidentially submitted its prospectus to the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, but has not yet announced an official debut date. CFO Sarah Friar informed employees during an all-hands meeting this month that OpenAI plans to become a public company in 2027.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
