Brad Lightcap, OpenAI's longtime chief operating officer, is leaving the company to "start something new," he told staff Tuesday, TechCrunch and Fortune reported.
Lightcap joined OpenAI in 2018 as chief financial officer and served as COO from 2022 until April 2026, when he moved into a special projects role reporting directly to CEO Sam Altman, according to Fortune. He plans to stay at the company for a few more weeks.
"I believe in OpenAI more than ever and am excited to help you all advance the mission from a different vantage point," Lightcap wrote in an internal memo, Fortune reported. He described his next venture as addressing "a few important new things the world will need to get right" as AI grows more capable, without giving further detail.
Lightcap's exit adds to a string of senior OpenAI departures this year, including Bill Peebles, Kevin Weil and Srinivas Narayanan in April, Barret Zoph in June, and Fidji Simo and Johannes Heidecke in July, according to Fortune.
For founders watching where experienced AI operators land next, an eight-year OpenAI veteran who helped build its corporate infrastructure heading out to start something new is worth tracking. Talent like that tends to seed the next round of well-funded AI infrastructure startups.