OpenAI has lost its head of data centers, Chris Malone, who departed the company last week, the Wall Street Journal reported. The exit comes as OpenAI is in the middle of a large-scale infrastructure buildout and adds to a growing list of senior-level departures at the company in 2026.
Malone joined OpenAI in March 2025, following nearly five years at Meta and more than a decade at Google. His role placed him at the center of OpenAI’s data center strategy, including its involvement in the Stargate Project — a $500 billion data center initiative championed by the Trump administration. OpenAI is a key partner in that effort alongside Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Microsoft.
The reason for Malone’s departure is not entirely clear. Before he left, OpenAI had already reorganized its infrastructure group, shifting Malone’s reporting line away from President Greg Brockman and placing Vice President Sachin Katti in charge. In a statement, OpenAI said it had “recently reorganized” its infrastructure organization and described its remaining data center team as experienced and well-led. Several executives — Uday Ruddarraju, Brent Mayo, and Spas Lazarov — are said to be overseeing data center strategy going forward.
Malone’s exit is one of at least 13 executive departures at OpenAI so far in 2026, according to a Business Insider tally. Recent high-profile exits include Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser, who left after roughly eight months; longtime Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap; and Fidji Simo, who served as product and business chief and reported directly to CEO Sam Altman. OpenAI also disbanded its preparedness team last week and lost its head of ethics in July.
The sustained turnover may carry consequences beyond internal disruption. OpenAI is preparing for an IPO, now reportedly pushed to 2027, and the company faces questions about its valuation and profitability relative to the scale of investment it has attracted. The ongoing executive churn could add to that scrutiny as the company moves toward a public listing.
Source: TechCrunch