OpenAI loses data center chief as executive exodus deepens ahead of IPO

BitcoinWorld OpenAI loses data center chief as executive exodus deepens ahead of IPO OpenAI has lost its head of data centers, Chris Malone, just over a year after he joined the company, marking the latest in a string of senior executive departures that now exceeds a dozen in 2026.

Malone’s exit, reported by the Wall Street Journal, comes as OpenAI navigates a massive infrastructure buildout and prepares for a potential public listing now expected in 2027. What happened with Chris Malone?

Chris Malone, who previously spent nearly five years at Meta and over a decade at Google, joined OpenAI in March 2025. His tenure was short-lived: he left last week, according to the WSJ.

The company did not provide a specific reason for his departure, but in a statement to Bitcoin World, OpenAI said it had “recently reorganized” its infrastructure organization to “support the scale and pace of our work.” As part of that reorganization, Malone stopped reporting directly to President Greg Brockman and began reporting to Vice President Sachin Katti, who now leads the group.