What Does OpenAI Do?

Total employees4844
HeadquartersSan Francisco
Founded2015

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. Founded in 2015, OpenAI has been at forefront of AI innovation, developing powerful models like the GPT series (Generative Pre-trained Transformer), DALL·E for image generation, Sora for text-to-video, and Whisper for speech recognition. The company focuses on both groundbreaking research and the safe deployment of AI technologies, aiming to create broadly beneficial AGI while addressing potential risks. OpenAI offers its models through APIs for developers and businesses, and directly through applications like ChatGPT.

Where Is OpenAI's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Primary global headquarters, housing core research and development teams, engineering, product development, corporate leadership, and strategic operations.

Notable Features:

Located in the historic Pioneer Building in the Mission District. The building, a former trunk factory, has been repurposed into a modern, collaborative tech workspace, blending historic architecture with cutting-edge facilities.

Work Culture:

Intense, mission-driven, and research-focused environment centered on developing safe and beneficial AGI. Highly collaborative with a strong emphasis on innovation, rapid iteration, and addressing complex technical challenges.

HQ Significance:

The central hub for OpenAI's groundbreaking AI research and the birthplace of transformative models like GPT-4, DALL·E 3, and Sora. It's the nerve center for the company's strategic direction and global impact.

Values Reflected in HQ: Innovation (advanced tech within a historic landmark), ambition (tackling AGI), collaboration (open-plan and project spaces), and a commitment to a long-term mission.

Location:

OpenAI supports a global user base and developer community through its API and products like ChatGPT. While its primary research and development are centered in San Francisco, its international offices in London, Dublin, and Tokyo facilitate regional operations, policy engagement, research collaborations, and customer support. The company actively engages with policymakers, researchers, and organizations worldwide to promote the safe and beneficial development of AI.

Street Address:

3180 18th St

City:

San Francisco

State/Province:

California

Country:

USA

Where Else Does OpenAI Operate Around the World?

London, United Kingdom

Address: Central London (specific address not widely publicized)

To tap into the European talent pool, expand global research collaborations, engage with UK and European policymakers on AI safety and governance, and support regional customers.

Dublin, Ireland

Address: Dublin, Ireland (specific address not widely publicized)

To serve as a hub for EU operations, ensure compliance with regional regulations like GDPR, and facilitate engagement with EU institutions and stakeholders.

Tokyo, Japan

Address: Tokyo, Japan (specific address not widely publicized)

To better serve the Japanese market, build local partnerships, understand regional needs, and contribute to the Japanese AI ecosystem.

Buying Intent Signals for OpenAI

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading OpenAI? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, OpenAI' leadership includes:

Sam Altman - Chief Executive Officer
Mira Murati - Chief Technology Officer
Greg Brockman - President
Brad Lightcap - Chief Operating Officer
Jason Kwon - Chief Strategy Officer
Diane Yoon - Chief People Officer
Jakub Pachocki - Chief Scientist
Anna Makanju - VP of Global Affairs
Che Chang - Chief Legal Officer

Who's Investing in OpenAI?

OpenAI has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Microsoft
Khosla Ventures
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
Thrive Capital
Sequoia Capital
Bedrock Capital
Tiger Global Management
Reid Hoffman (individual/foundation)

What Leadership Changes Has OpenAI Seen Recently?

Hire2
Exits2

The past 12 months (approx. mid-2023 to mid-2024) have been highly eventful for OpenAI's leadership. Key developments include the appointment of a new Chief People Officer, a brief but significant leadership crisis in November 2023 involving the CEO and President, and the departure of co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever in May 2024, followed by the appointment of a new Chief Scientist.

Departures

Ilya Sutskever, Ilya Sutskever departed OpenAI after nearly a decade, having played a crucial role in its research breakthroughs.
Jan Leike, Jan Leike resigned from his role leading safety research on future superintelligent AI systems.

New Appointments:

Diane Yoon, Diane Yoon joined OpenAI as Chief People Officer.
Jakub Pachocki, Jakub Pachocki was promoted to Chief Scientist following Ilya Sutskever's departure.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byOpenAI?

Discover the tools OpenAI uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

OpenAI Email Formats and Examples

OpenAI commonly uses email formats based on employee names. The most prevalent format appears to be [first name]@openai.com. Other potential formats, though less confirmed, might include [first initial][last name]@openai.com or [first name].[last name]@openai.com. For direct communication, verifying the specific email address is always recommended.

[first]@openai.com

Format

sam@openai.com

Example

75%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About OpenAI?

OpenAI Blog • 2024-05-13

OpenAI Unveils GPT-4o: A New Flagship Model with Advanced Multimodal Capabilities

OpenAI announced GPT-4o, its newest flagship model capable of real-time reasoning across audio, vision, and text. GPT-4o offers significantly improved speed, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced interactive capabilities, aiming to make human-computer interaction more natural....more

TechCrunch • 2024-05-14

OpenAI Co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever Departs Company

Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder and Chief Scientist of OpenAI, announced his departure. Jakub Pachocki, previously Director of Research, was named as his successor. Sutskever was a key figure in many of OpenAI's major breakthroughs....more

OpenAI Blog • 2024-04-15

OpenAI Establishes First Asian Office in Tokyo, Japan

OpenAI announced the opening of its first office in Asia, located in Tokyo, Japan. This expansion aims to support local businesses, collaborate with Japanese talent, and contribute to the development of safe AI tools tailored for the region....more

OpenAI Blog • 2024-03-13

OpenAI Partners with Le Monde and Prisa Media to Integrate Authoritative News into ChatGPT

OpenAI announced partnerships with leading European publishers Le Monde (France) and Prisa Media (Spain) to bring their high-quality journalism to ChatGPT users, providing timely and factual news summaries in multiple languages....more

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