Chris Malone, the former head of data centers at OpenAI, left the company last week, according to Wall Street Journal reporting cited by TechCrunch. The departure is particularly significant because Malone oversaw the execution of the data center strategy, a role at the heart of the race among artificial intelligence companies to expand the computing capacity needed to operate and develop models.
Malone joined OpenAI in March 2025, after nearly five years at Meta and more than a decade at Google, making his tenure at the company relatively short. OpenAI did not provide a specific explanation for his departure, but said that the company had recently “reorganized” its infrastructure organization to match the “scale and pace of the work.” It added that it has a strong team with deep data center experience, along with clear leadership and the technical expertise to execute its plans.
A Change in the Reporting Line
According to the report, Malone no longer reported directly to Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, during the reorganization process. Instead, he reported to Sachin Katti, the company’s vice president, who took over leadership of the group. Several other leaders are involved in overseeing the data center strategy, including Uday Ruddarraju, who leads the data center team; Brent Mayo, who is responsible for the data center construction and delivery program; and Spas Lazarov, who leads data center engineering and has experience in the data center and energy industries.
Why Does This News Matter?
The departure of a single executive does not mean that OpenAI’s infrastructure plans have stopped, particularly because the company says it has alternative leadership and technical expertise. However, the change is taking place in a strategic role and during a period that requires the rapid execution of massive projects. Partners and investors may therefore watch to see whether the reorganization clarifies responsibilities or adds another layer of complexity to the execution process.
The role is also connected to Stargate, a $500 billion data center initiative launched shortly after Malone joined OpenAI and backed by the Donald Trump administration to develop data centers inside the United States. OpenAI, along with Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Microsoft, is a key partner in the effort, according to the source material.
The Departure Is Part of a Broader Wave
Malone’s departure comes as part of a series of leadership exits at OpenAI. Business Insider counted 13 executives who departed during 2026, with several departures occurring during the past month. The list included Denise Dresser, who left her position as chief revenue officer after approximately eight months, and Brad Lightcap, one of the company’s longest-serving leaders, who had held the position of chief operating officer for years. Fidji Simo, who had played a pivotal leadership role in product and business, also left her position to recover from a chronic illness while remaining an adviser to the company.
The changes also included the safety and ethics teams. Chloé Bakalar, who had led ethics, left in July, and reports last week said that OpenAI had dissolved the preparedness team responsible for assessing the potential for the company’s models to cause catastrophic risks. Project leaders also departed after their projects were discontinued, including Bill Peebles, the former head of the Sora image generator, while Kate Rouch left her position as chief marketing officer in April for health reasons, according to reports.
The article says that Greg Brockman tried to downplay the significance of the wave of departures, arguing that every exit receives greater scrutiny because of the spotlight on OpenAI. However, continued leadership turnover raises practical questions about administrative stability and the ability to execute infrastructure expansion. It also comes as the company prepares for reputational scrutiny ahead of a potential public offering. The offering, originally expected in 2026, was reportedly postponed to 2027, while questions circulate about the company’s valuation and profitability compared with the scale of investment in it.