Fidji Simo leaves OpenAI’s ChatGPT apps role to become a part-time adviser

Harriet L. Whitmore • August 21, 2026 06:24

Living with a chronic illness for years, Fidji Simo - CEO of OpenAI’s apps (including ChatGPT) - is leaving her role to become a part-time adviser.

Among the most prominent French figures in the AI sector is Fidji Simo. A former Facebook employee and former head of Instacart, she was recruited by OpenAI to serve as CEO of applications. In practice, that put her in charge of ChatGPT, working under Sam Altman’s oversight.

Fidji Simo leaves her OpenAI apps role and switches to part-time adviser

A few days ago, Simo said she would be stepping away from this high-profile position and moving into a part-time advisory role.

Chronic illness: a “difficult” decision focused on recovery

The French executive describes the choice as “difficult”, explaining that she needs to concentrate on her health. “Three months ago, I had to take sick leave following a severe flare-up of a chronic illness I’ve been living with for seven years. During that time, it became clear to me that the path to recovery would be much longer and more complex than I had expected - and that I needed to devote myself to it fully”, she wrote on X.

Facebook had already offered her a full year of sick leave

Now, Simo says she wishes she had put her wellbeing first sooner. “When I took that leave, many people told me I was brave to prioritise my health. The truth is I’m only making this decision now because I failed to make it many times before”, she wrote.

She also recounts that, two years after becoming ill, Facebook had offered her the option of taking an entire year of sick leave. She did not even take the time to consider it, even though Mark Zuckerberg had personally urged her to think long term.

While regretting not having followed that advice, she adds that she has always believed opportunities are precious and should be seized when they arise. She says that this mindset is what enabled her to “leave a small town in the south of France” (Sète) and reach opportunities she never would have imagined.