OpenAI‘s exodus continues as two senior officials departed, including head of private equity Paul Zimmerman, who joined Alphabet Inc.‘s Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) as Managing Director and Global Head of Private Equity after just over a year at the company, according to his LinkedIn.
OpenAI’s PE Head Lands At Google
In his Google announcement post, Zimmerman called this “an especially important moment for private equity,” adding that AI is now moving beyond productivity gains to become “a catalyst for growth, innovation, and competitive advantage across the portfolio.”
In a separate farewell post, he thanked OpenAI, calling it “a remarkable time.”
Sales Leader Also Exits
James Dyett, OpenAI’s head of sales, also departed after three years, joining venture capital firm Thrive Capital as Operator in Residence. In an X post, Dyett said he leaves “with deep gratitude” for helping scale OpenAI’s go-to-market organization, adding “the timing feels right” as he is “drawn back to the early stages of company building.”
Dyett previously worked at Thrive-backed Stripe before joining OpenAI, and gave special thanks to OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap “for taking a bet on me.” Thrive Capital is one of OpenAI’s largest and most prominent investors, having led key funding rounds at the company.
The exits come amid the Sam Altman-led company cutting back on “side quests” in favor of enterprise AI and its upcoming “superapp.”
The latest departures come after three high-profile single-day exits last month, as OpenAI prepares for a potential IPO later this year.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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