• Greg Brockman returns to OpenAI after a three-month sabbatical, taking on a new role.

• His return follows the recent departures of leaders, including Mira Murati and Ilya Sutskever.

• Brockman, a close ally of Sam Altman, had already resigned last year to protest the CEO’s ouster.

OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman is returning to the startup after taking a three-month sabbatical.

Brockman, former president of OpenAI and key ally of CEO Sam Altman, previously confirmed that he would take leave in August “until the end of the year.”

On Tuesday, he sent staff a memo announcing his return, Bloomberg first reported. He said he worked with Altman to develop a new role that would allow him to work on important technical challenges.

“The longest vacation of my life is over. Back to building @OpenAI,” Brockman said in a statement. job on X, confirming his return.

The news comes after a Exodus top executives from ChatGPT creator this year, including former CTO Mira Murati and co-founder Ilya Sutskever.

Brockman’s return would see him bucking the trend for C-suite heavyweights leave the company to join rival companies or launch their own startups.

Ilya Sutskever, who left the startup in June, had a complex relationship with Altman – and was heavily involved upon his dismissal and rehiring in November 2023. After his exit from OpenAI, he founded Safe SuperIntelligencean AI startup that has already earned $1 billion thanks to funding from companies like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia.

Murati, who left his post in September 2024, was in talks to raise funds for his own startup, which is reportedly creating AI products based on proprietary models. Reuters first reported.

Meanwhile, co-founder and researcher John Schulman joined rival AI giant Anthropic. in August.

In November 2024, only three out of 11 Open AI’s co-founders remain with the company.

Brockman is a close ally of Altman. When Altman was temporarily ousted from the company in November 2023, Brockman resigned in protest of the decision. He rejoined the company once Altman was reinstated.

In October, OpenAI announced it had hired two senior executives in an effort to fill the exodus: former Uber executive Scott Schoolswho will be the first compliance officer of OpenAI, and Aaron Chatterjiformer Biden administration official and business professor, to take on the role of chief economist.

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