Power is consolidating at OpenAI as co-founder Greg Brockman cements control following the abrupt departure of CEO Fidji Simo, who stepped down citing chronic health issues. Brockman, the company's president and co-founder, is now the undisputed operational leader, with his influence extending across product, engineering, and strategic planning, according to CNBC. The leadership shakeup comes as OpenAI lays groundwork for a potential IPO that could kick off as early as 2027. Brockman now oversees product roadmaps, engineering priorities, and strategic partnerships. OpenAI is sitting on a private valuation north of $150 billion following its latest funding round, and Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are reportedly competing to lead the offering. Unlike Simo, who came from Meta, Brockman has been embedded in OpenAI since 2015 and was instrumental in the architecture behind GPT-4. The company now generates over $3 billion in annual recurring revenue, primarily from ChatGPT subscriptions and enterprise API deals. Microsoft has invested more than $13 billion.