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OpenAI Loses Data Center Chief While Pursuing a Reported $600 Billion Compute Target

The personnel change puts new leaders in charge of turning OpenAI’s large compute ambitions into data-center capacity and delivered facilities.

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OpenAI Loses Data Center Chief While Pursuing a Reported $600 Billion Compute Target
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OpenAI has lost its data-center chief as the company pursues a reported goal of roughly six hundred billion dollars in compute spending by 2030. Chris Malone, who joined OpenAI in March 2025 after infrastructure roles at Meta and Google, is no longer with the company. His departure comes as OpenAI reorganizes the team responsible for turning massive compute ambitions into actual data-center capacity and delivered facilities. CNBC reported the six-hundred-billion-dollar target, but OpenAI has not publicly confirmed that figure. The Wall Street Journal reported that Malone’s reporting line shifted from President Greg Brockman to Vice President Sachin Katti before Malone left. Katti now leads the group. OpenAI has also named three operating leads: Uday Ruddarraju for the data-center team, Brent Mayo for data-center build and delivery, and Spas Lazarov for data-center engineering. The Journal reported that OpenAI is reviving plans to lease entire data-center facilities, with other leaders directing that effort. The reason for Malone’s exit remains unclear. TechCrunch reported that OpenAI pointed instead to the reorganization and to the experience of its remaining data-center team. That makes the key issue less about a single executive change than execution at an enormous scale: whether these new leaders can translate a reported spending target into capacity, construction, and operating facilities by 2030.

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OpenAI’s data-center organization is being reshaped after Chris Malone, who joined in March 2025 following infrastructure roles at Meta and Google, departed. The change comes as the company targets roughly $600 billion in compute spending by 2030—a scale requiring expanded capacity and delivery operations. Sachin Katti now leads the group, while Uday Ruddarraju, Brent Mayo, and Spas Lazarov own data-center,...

  1. 01

    CNBC reported OpenAI’s roughly $600 billion compute-spending target by 2030; the company has not publicly confirmed that figure.

  2. 02

    The Wall Street Journal reported Malone’s reporting line shifted from Greg Brockman to Sachin Katti before his departure.

  3. 03

    OpenAI named Uday Ruddarraju, Brent Mayo, and Spas Lazarov to lead data-center operations, delivery, and engineering.

OpenAI is pursuing a reported target to spend roughly $600 billion on compute by 2030. Chris Malone, who led the company’s data center work, has left as OpenAI reorganizes the infrastructure group meant to support that scale.

An OpenAI spokesperson said Malone is no longer with the company. As head of data centers, he helped oversee the company’s buildout. Malone joined OpenAI in March 2025 after data-center infrastructure work at Meta and Google.

The reported spending target
Roughly $600 billionCompute target

CNBC reported that OpenAI’s infrastructure plans include a target to spend roughly $600 billion on compute by 2030.

OpenAI said it recently reorganized its infrastructure organization to support the scale and pace of its work. The company said it has a deeply experienced data-center team with clear leadership and the technical expertise to execute its plans.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Malone’s reporting line moved from OpenAI President Greg Brockman to Vice President Sachin Katti, who took leadership of the group. The Journal also reported that OpenAI appointed a chief technology officer to lead computing capacity.

Named operating leads

  • Uday Ruddarraju leads OpenAI’s data center team.
  • Brent Mayo leads the data center build and delivery program.
  • Spas Lazarov leads data center engineering.

The Journal also reported, citing unidentified sources, that OpenAI is reviving initiatives involving leases for entire data-center facilities. It said other leaders are directing those efforts in Malone’s place.

Malone’s exit follows other senior changes. Brad Lightcap recently left OpenAI; Fidji Simo stepped down as product and business chief and remains an adviser; and OpenAI replaced Chief Revenue Officer Denise Dresser after about eight months in the role.

TechCrunch said the reason for Malone’s departure was unclear. OpenAI’s statement focused on the infrastructure reorganization and its remaining data-center team, rather than identifying a cause for his exit.

Sources

  1. moneycontrol.comOpenAI data center executive Chris Malone departs the AI startup- Moneycontrol.com
  2. cnbc.comOpenAI data center chief Chris Malone is out, the latest in a string of executive exits
  3. techcrunch.comOpenAI loses a top data center exec, as stream of high-profile departures continues | TechCrunch
  4. finance.yahoo.comOpenAI Data Center Executive Chris Malone Departs the AI Startup

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