OpenAI sales leader leaves for role at Thrive Capital
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OpenAI sales leader James Dyett said Monday he is leaving his position, the latest in a series of high-profile departures at the artificial intelligence company.
Dyett joined OpenAI in 2023, when the company was going through a period of explosive growth following the launch of its ChatGPT chatbot. His LinkedIn profile lists the title “Sales Manager,” but the company says he’s a “senior sales leader.”
OpenAI is currently valued at more than $850 billion by private investors, and Dyett led enterprise and application programming interface (API) sales at different points during his tenure.
“The timing feels right,” Dyett wrote a post on x On Monday. “I’m back in the early stages of building a company, and OpenAI is in a strong place.”
Dyett’s departure follows a series of executive leadership changes at OpenAI in recent months.
Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s chief product and business officer, announced last month that he would be taking medical leave due to his worsening neuroimmune condition. OpenAI’s chief marketing officer, Kate Rouch, also decided to resign to focus on recovering from cancer, and OpenAI’s chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, moved to a new role focusing on “special projects.”
Weeks later, Bill Peebleswho led OpenAI’s defunct short-form video app Sora and Kevin WeilThe vice presidents of OpenAI for Science have announced that they are leaving their respective roles.
Dyett said he will move to a new role at venture capital firm Thrive Capital, where he will serve as Residence Operator. Thrive is a long-term supporter of OpenAI, and the firm’s founder Joshua Kushner has a close relationship with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
“I’ve had the fortune of working at Thrive-backed companies (first Stripe, then OpenAI) over the last decade and have experienced firsthand their dedication to their companies,” he wrote. “I’m excited to pay it forward to founders in the portfolio and stay close to construction.”
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