Barret Zoph Reportedly Fired From Thinking Machines By Mira Murati For 'Unethical Conduct,' Immediately Returns To OpenAI

On Wednesday, OpenAI rehired former executive Barret Zoph after he was reportedly fired from Mira Murati's AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab. Conflicting Accounts Surround Zoph's Exit The development was first disclosed on X by technology reporter Kylie Robison, who said Zoph had been dismissed over what she described as "unethical conduct." BREAKING: Thinking Machines has terminated its CTO, Barret Zoph, due to unethical conduct according to two sources familiar with the matter. CEO Mira Murati announced the news at an all-hands with employees today. Soumith Chintala will be taking over as CTO.— Kylie Robison (@kyliebytes) January 14, 2026 On X, Murati acknowledged Zoph's departure and announced that Soumith Chintala will step in as the startup's new chief technology officer. We have parted ways with Barret Zoph. Soumith Chintala will be the new CTO of Thinking Machines. He is a brilliant and seasoned leader who has made important contributions to the AI field for over a decade, and he's been a major contributor to our team. We could not be more…— Mira Murati (@miramurati) January 14, 2026 OpenAI Moves Quickly To Reclaim Talent In a separate announcement shared on X, Fidji Simo, OpenAI's CEO of applications, said Zoph and Luke Metz are returning to OpenAI. Zoph shared the post saying he is "super excited." Super excited to join the team! https://t.co/a2gp2Bpv7A— Barret Zoph (@barret_zoph) January 15, 2026 A person familiar with Thinking Machines told Wired that Zoph was accused of sharing confidential company information with rival firms. In a memo sent to staff by Simo and seen by the publication, Zoph informed Murati on Monday that he was contemplating leaving and by Wednesday, he had been fired. Simo noted that OpenAI does not share Murati's concerns regarding Zoph. Zoph did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. Another Blow For Mira Murati's Startup The departures deepen challenges for Thinking Machines, a well-funded AI startup founded by Murati, OpenAI's former chief technology officer. The company also lost co-founder Andrew Tulloch to Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) last year. Thinking Machines, last valued at $12 billion, has been in talks to raise more than $4 billion at a $50 billion valuation. Photo Courtesy: Prathmesh T on Shutterstock.com Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.