OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap Announces Departure to Start New Venture After Special Projects Role
OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap has announced his departure to pursue a new venture, following a move to a special projects role in April. Lightcap, who joined in 2018 and served as COO for four years, is leaving as OpenAI works to support its US$852 billion valuation and prepare for an IPO. He previously expanded the company's marketing team from about 50 to more than 700 people in the 18 months through mid-2025.
Brad Lightcap, a longtime OpenAI executive, announced his departure on Tuesday, the latest in a series of leadership changes at the company. Lightcap joined OpenAI in 2018 and held several senior leadership roles during his tenure, including four years as chief operating officer. In April, he moved to a new position focused on "special projects," at which time the company said Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser would assume most of his responsibilities.
Lightcap's exit comes as OpenAI seeks to support its US$852 billion valuation and prepare for a highly anticipated initial public offering. Earlier, Fidji Simo, who oversaw products and business, announced her departure last month to focus on recovery from a worsening chronic illness. In April, three other executives announced their departures: Bill Peebles, who was responsible for the discontinued short-video app Sora; Kevin Weil, vice president of OpenAI's science division; and Srinivas Narayanan, head of B2B application technology.
Lightcap has been one of Chief Executive Sam Altman's closest aides since the company's early days, with the two having worked together at Y Combinator, the startup incubator Altman previously led. In the roughly 18 months through mid-2025, Lightcap expanded OpenAI's marketing team from about 50 to more than 700 people, including sales representatives and staff responsible for customer success, developer relations, and strategic partnerships. The expansion began in 2023, alongside the launch of GPT-4 and ChatGPT Enterprise, as OpenAI sought to extend its consumer success into the enterprise market to compete with rival Anthropic. In an interview about a year ago, Lightcap said customers were beginning to come in from all directions. In his departure statement, he said that witnessing the teams mature under outstanding leaders was the most rewarding part of the journey, and he expressed great anticipation for the next decade.