OpenAI Overhauls Executive Team and Acquires Statsig for $1.1 Billion

Executive Reorganization

OpenAI disclosed a major reshuffle of its executive ranks, creating a dedicated Applications division led by Fidji Simo, who left her previous role as Instacart’s chief executive to assume the newly created position of CEO of Applications on August 18th. Simo will supervise the development of a broad suite of OpenAI products, including ChatGPT and Codex, and will directly manage several senior product leaders.

In parallel, senior engineering leader Srinivas Narayanan, known for guiding the engineering behind ChatGPT and developer APIs, was elevated to the role of CTO of B2B Applications. In this capacity, Narayanan will head all business‑oriented application efforts, covering startups, enterprises and government customers, and will report to OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap.

Kevin Weil, formerly the company’s chief product officer, is transitioning to the research side of the business, taking on the title of Vice President of AI for Science. Weil will launch a new science‑focused team and work closely with chief research officer Mark Chen. As part of this shift, Weil’s former product team—including head of ChatGPT Nick Turley—will now report directly to Simo.

Statsig Acquisition

OpenAI confirmed the acquisition of Statsig, a Seattle‑based firm specializing in A/B testing and product‑analytics tools, for $1.1 billion. The deal is subject to regulatory approval, after which Statsig employees will become OpenAI employees. Despite the acquisition, Statsig will continue operating independently from its Seattle office, maintaining its existing customer base.

Statsig founder and chief executive Vijaye Raji will join OpenAI’s C‑suite as the new CTO of Applications. Raji will oversee product engineering across both core OpenAI offerings and the newly integrated Statsig capabilities, with responsibilities spanning infrastructure, integrity and reporting directly to Simo.

New Roles and Responsibilities

The restructuring consolidates product leadership under Simo, aligning engineering, product design and go‑to‑market functions for all consumer and business applications. Narayanan’s B2B focus complements Simo’s broader Applications mandate, while Raji brings deep expertise in analytics and experimentation to strengthen OpenAI’s product reliability and data‑driven decision making.

Weil’s shift to AI for Science signals OpenAI’s intent to expand its research footprint into scientific domains, leveraging the company’s large‑scale models for discovery and experimentation.

Impact and Outlook

OpenAI’s leadership overhaul and strategic acquisition aim to accelerate the development of integrated AI products, improve operational scalability and deepen its foothold in enterprise markets. By retaining Statsig’s operational independence while embedding its analytics expertise at the executive level, OpenAI seeks to preserve continuity for existing Statsig customers and ensure a smooth integration of technology.

The new hierarchy positions OpenAI to better coordinate its rapid product releases, address integrity and infrastructure challenges, and expand its reach across both consumer‑facing and business‑centric AI solutions.