That xAI is facing one of the most high-profile mass exodus ever. This particular artificial intelligence company was co-founded by Elon Musk. Vahid Kazemi, a machine learning specialist at the company, departed a few weeks ago. He was the latest in a string of exits which included some other major architects of the plan. Hang Gao was formerly a rapidly expanding mile and the caverns of Grok Imagine multimodal projects. Simon Zhai, Member of Technical Staff, left in early February. Andrew Ma, who worked to improve app and recommendation model since the acquisition, resigned soon after.
The recent departures point to a larger concern regarding xAI’s internal dynamics. The $1.7 billion technology firm is preparing for a long-anticipated initial public offering (IPO) as early as this fall. What went wrong Musk spelled it out succinctly in a recent interview. He characterized the departures as a normal progression, rather than an indication of any performance problems.
Today is my last day at xAI, and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity. It’s been an incredible adventure,” said Simon Zhai of his departure.
In all, six of the original twelve co-founders of xAI have departed the company in recent weeks. This shake-up follows Musk’s own emerging personal scandals involving allegations of having had sex with minor and now-deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. It was reported this week that Musk had meetings with Epstein in 2012 and 2013, bringing further scrutiny over the tech billionaire’s connections to shady characters.
Kazemi’s departure is in line with a growing wave of former employees who are moving on to greener pastures. He noted, “IMO, all AI labs are building the exact same thing, and it’s boring. I think there’s room for more creativity. So, I’m starting something new.” This sentiment clearly rings true among many others who have made the exodus out of xAI to seek greener pastures.
Hang Gao’s exit on February 10 comes as a time of dramatic upheaval within the company. Gao’s work played a key role in xAI’s ongoing efforts to create breakthrough multimodal applications. Meanwhile, Andrew Ma expressed excitement about future possibilities after leaving xAI on February 11, stating, “I’m excited about the future — not sure what I’ll be doing yet (my DMs are open), but there is a world to be changed and no time to waste.”
In fact, Musk has publicly stated on multiple occasions that international restructuring needs to happen at xAI in order to achieve operational efficiencies. “xAI was reorganized a few days ago to improve speed of execution,” he stated. He continued to explain that when companies scale feverishly at a high pace, the companies themselves need to scale too.
As a company matures — particularly at the fast pace of xAI — the organization needs to change any living organism. This, regrettably, meant saying goodbye to dozens of them,” Musk went on to say.
The backdrop of these departures is made even more troubling given Musk’s recent behavior, linking himself to Epstein. Musk’s former working relationship and friendship should be investigated given the major implications on his companies. In 2008, Epstein was convicted for just that crime—procuring an underage girl to prostitution. His connections are in a position that can shift public perception about Musk and his associates’ endeavors.
Musk is bullish on xAI’s future and where it’s heading. He teased any potential new hires on the project when he launched xAI, hinting that anyone looking to work on the most cutting-edge projects should apply. “Join xAI if the idea of mass drivers on the Moon appeals to you,” he quipped.
As xAI is in the midst of significant leadership changes and preparations for its IPO, things could change. The full effect of these departures has yet to be seen. The firm’s success depends on its ability to attract and retain talent and encourage a more collegial environment. This will be especially important as it tries to dance around the competitive AI landscape.