OpenAI’s head of data centers becomes latest executive to quit

Chris Malone, a leader guiding OpenAI’s data facility strategy, has departed the company. Citing individuals familiar with the transition, a report by The Wall Street Journal says that Malone exited last week, adding to a series of high-level executive changes as the AI lab prepares for an anticipated public listing. Malone stepped into the head of data centers role in March 2025, shortly after OpenAI introduced Stargate, an infrastructure venture partnered with SoftBank and Oracle to meet escalating computing requirements.

Following early operational challenges with the initial Stargate plan, the company pivoted toward securing direct capacity agreements with cloud platforms.