OpenAI has named Mike Liberatore, previously finance chief at Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI, as its new business finance officer.
Liberatore will oversee OpenAI’s infrastructure spending and report to chief financial officer Sarah Friar, working closely with Greg Brockman’s team to scale the company’s access to compute resources.
Liberatore’s appointment comes after a brief tenure at xAI, where he departed in July following just three months in the role. During his time at xAI, he played a key part in arranging a $5 billion debt sale and a $5 billion equity raise, with backing from SpaceX, and approved major data centre expansion plans. He also brings experience from nearly nine years at Airbnb, as well as senior finance roles at SquareTrade, eBay, and PayPal.
A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed to Reuters that Liberatore will be responsible for overseeing the company’s AI infrastructure. “Liberatore will report to chief financial officer Sarah Friar and work with Greg Brockman’s team, which is charged with scaling OpenAI’s access to compute,” the spokesperson said.
The move is the latest development in the ongoing rivalry between OpenAI and Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but has since become a vocal critic. Musk sued OpenAI and its chief executive officer Sam Altman last year, alleging the company had strayed from its original mission to benefit humanity. OpenAI countersued Musk in April, accusing him of harassment.
OpenAI, recently valued at $500 billion, has been ramping up its compute commitments, including a $300 billion deal with Oracle. The company’s transition from a non-profit research lab to a commercial enterprise has been marked by significant investment, with Microsoft as a principal backer.
Liberatore’s arrival at OpenAI follows a series of high-profile departures at xAI and reflects the fierce competition for talent in the artificial intelligence sector. His experience in large-scale financing and infrastructure projects is expected to play a crucial role as OpenAI continues to expand its operations.
