Barret Zoph Just Left OpenAI — Again. Why His Return Lasted Only 5 Months
The executive's second departure follows a brief stint as CTO of rival Thinking Machines Lab.
Barret Zoph, OpenAI's head of enterprise AI sales, has departed the company again after only five months, according to sources. Zoph originally left OpenAI in fall 2024 to co-found Thinking Machines Lab, the competing AI startup led by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati. He returned to OpenAI in January 2026 alongside two other former employees, Luke Metz and Sam Schoenholz, after abruptly leaving Thinking Machines Lab due to alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed relationship with a colleague. OpenAI confirmed his departure, with Zoph posting a goodbye message in internal Slack channels.
Zoph's second exit highlights the ongoing talent churn between the two rival labs. His role leading enterprise AI sales was considered critical as OpenAI pivots away from "side quests" to focus on core revenue drivers like enterprise and coding in preparation for its planned IPO. Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of Applications, had publicly welcomed Zoph back just months ago. The departure underscores the tumultuous dynamics at OpenAI, especially given Murati's highly publicized testimony during the recent OpenAI trial about distrust toward CEO Sam Altman.
- Barret Zoph, OpenAI's head of enterprise AI sales, has left the company five months after returning from rival Thinking Machines Lab.
- He originally left OpenAI in fall 2024 to co-found Thinking Machines Lab but departed in January 2026 after alleged misconduct involving an undisclosed colleague relationship.
- Zoph's exit adds to talent instability at OpenAI as it focuses on enterprise revenue and prepares for an IPO.
Why It Matters
Ongoing leadership turbulence at OpenAI threatens its enterprise sales momentum just ahead of a critical IPO.