It's Greg Brockman's OpenAI Now: The Quiet Rise of a Second-in-Command
The Verge published an in-depth report on August 20, 2026: Sam Altman is still OpenAI's CEO, but in day-to-day operations, the second-in-command — co-founder and president Greg Brockman — is running the show. Over the past year, OpenAI fought a sensational jury trial against Elon Musk, faced a high-profile trade secrets lawsuit from Apple, weathered public scrutiny after an unreleased model hacked another AI company, and is preparing for an IPO. Meanwhile, a steady stream of executives have departed. Through it all, Brockman's authority quietly expanded, making him the de facto big boss.
From Engineering Workhorse to Second-in-Command
Brockman is OpenAI's co-founder and has helped lead the company since its inception, described in the early days as an 'engineering workhorse that pushed to build scaled-up systems that would train the AI and make it work.' He was ambitious from the start — in 2017 he mused in a personal journal, 'Financially what will take me to $1B?' (His current stake in OpenAI is worth nearly 30 times that.) Back then, however, he shared power with co-founders like chief scientist Ilya Sutskever and CEO Sam Altman.
Now, although Brockman's title hasn't changed in years, his purview and job description have expanded significantly. In The Verge's words: 'He's essentially now second-in-command at the company — and, when it comes to day-to-day operations, the big boss.' This shift didn't come from a single promotion, but from power naturally consolidating around the core figure after a cascade of executive departures.
The Departure Wave: From Sora Lead to COO
Executive departures accelerated noticeably starting in April. That month saw the exit of Bill Peebles, former head of Sora; Kevin Weil, VP of OpenAI's science arm; and Srinivas Narayanan, CTO of B2B applications. Two others departed citing medical reasons: CMO Kate Rouch, and Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of AGI deployment — who went on leave in April before officially stepping down in July.
The changes have continued. Earlier this month, CRO Denise Dresser — who had taken on a slew of additional responsibilities after the April shake-ups — suddenly announced her departure after just eight months. Days later, Brad Lightcap — who had been in charge of 'special projects' for a few months, but before that was OpenAI's longtime COO — announced he would leave to start 'something new.' OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Notably, not all of these departures directly affected Brockman's position — but several expanded his authority significantly. When Simo went on medical leave, Brockman took charge of all things product, including leading OpenAI's super app efforts. The following month, OpenAI underwent yet another executive reorganization to focus on growing revenue — a change that pushed Brockman even further into the core of the company.
What Power Concentration Means for OpenAI
Such a dense cluster of executive changes and power concentration on the eve of an IPO continues to raise questions about OpenAI's governance. On one hand, Brockman — a technically grounded co-founder — taking over product and the super app could sharpen the company's product direction. On the other, the exodus of senior executives means a loss of institutional experience and added uncertainty for outside investors.
For everyday users and developers, these leadership changes won't alter the ChatGPT experience in the short term, but in the long run, the style of those at the helm often determines a company's product philosophy and strategic priorities. As Altman focuses more on external and macro direction while Brockman anchors daily operations, OpenAI's product cadence going forward — especially the super app plan — will be worth watching closely.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is Greg Brockman's role at OpenAI?
A: He is OpenAI's co-founder and president. His title hasn't changed in years, but his purview has expanded dramatically — he is now the de facto second-in-command under CEO Sam Altman, running daily operations, product, and the super app.
Q2: Which major executives left OpenAI this year?
A: They include Sora lead Bill Peebles, science VP Kevin Weil, B2B CTO Srinivas Narayanan, CMO Kate Rouch, AGI deployment CEO Fidji Simo, CRO Denise Dresser, and longtime COO Brad Lightcap, among others.
Q3: How did Brockman's power expand?
A: When AGI deployment CEO Simo went on medical leave, Brockman took over all product matters and led the super app efforts; a subsequent revenue-focused reorganization further strengthened his central position.
Q4: How does this affect ChatGPT users?
A: In the short term, the user experience is unchanged, but in the long run, leadership's product philosophy shapes company strategy — especially the pace of plans like the super app — which is worth following.
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Conclusion
As OpenAI stands on the threshold of an IPO, its power structure is undergoing a quiet but profound reshuffle. Sam Altman remains the face and CEO of the company, but Greg Brockman's presence is becoming increasingly pervasive across every corner of daily operations. From product to super app, from technology to revenue, the co-founder is reshaping one of the world's most valuable AI companies in his own way.
The departure wave and power concentration are both natural growing pains of a hyper-expanding company and a key window into OpenAI's governance trajectory. For those following the AI industry, the signal worth watching is not which model gets released next, but how the company answers a fundamental question: with a second-in-command actually at the helm, where is OpenAI headed?