OpenAI's head of data centers departs
What's the story
Chris Malone, the head of data centers at OpenAI, has left the company. Malone joined OpenAI in March 2025 after working on data center infrastructure at Meta and Google. His departure comes as the AI industry faces growing criticism over its infrastructure in the US. The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently flagged data centers as a "sleeper issue" for the midterm election cycle.
Organizational changes
Executive departures at OpenAI
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Malone's exit and said, "We recently reorganized our infrastructure organization to support the scale and pace of our work."
This statement comes amid a series of executive departures from the company.
Earlier this month, Denise Dresser, OpenAI's revenue chief, announced her resignation after less than a year in the role.
Her exit was shortly followed by Brad Lightcap's announcement to leave his eight-year stint at OpenAI for new opportunities.
Departures continue
Fidji Simo announced her resignation last month
Along with Dresser and Lightcap, Fidji Simo, OpenAI's product and business chief, announced her resignation last month to focus on a chronic illness.
Four other executives also left the company in April.
The string of departures has surprised some investors as OpenAI prepares for a potential IPO.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman downplayed concerns about the executive shakeups in an interview with CNBC last week.
Response to scrutiny
Brockman addresses concerns over executive shakeup
Brockman said he doesn't think the wave of exits is "actually that atypical."
He added, "I actually think that the difference between OpenAI and other organizations is that we are so much in the spotlight, so every departure gets scrutinized in a way that it doesn't otherwise."
This statement comes as OpenAI continues to navigate its leadership changes amid growing scrutiny from investors and the public.