OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar reassured investors that the company remains strong and on track to close a $6.5 billion funding round despite recent leadership departures. In an email viewed by CNBC, Friar acknowledged the exit of CTO Mira Murati and two top research executives, Bob McGrew and Barret Zoph, but emphasized that OpenAI still has a capable leadership team to compete.
The funding round, led by Thrive Capital, is expected to close next week and values OpenAI at $150 billion. Friar noted that the round was oversubscribed and that the company remains focused on advancing AI and building sustainable revenue models.
Mark Chen will take over as senior VP of research, and leaders like Kevin Weil and Srinivas Narayanan are set to drive innovation forward. OpenAI, backed by Microsoft and Apple, continues to attract investor interest despite recent changes in its executive team.
