PeopleofSuperintelligence

Nonprofit, United States

OpenAI Foundation

Statistics

People here now
3
People ever
3
Full moves in and out
3 in, 3 out

Our research follows 7,547 researchers, builders, lab leaders and public voices through cited biographies. Missing career records can lower counts. Outdated roles can overstate current counts and change ranks. Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026. Career and profile data as of 22 October 2026.

We estimate that 3 people shaping AI have worked at OpenAI Foundation, and all 3 hold current roles here. Among 1,097 nonprofits, the group is tied for 29th on current people and tied for 74th on all-time people. All 3 people with profile topics work in policy, ethics and society, and public voices make up 2 of the 3 people here now (67%). Dated work records span from 2025 to 2026. Across dated career transitions, we record 3 full moves in and 3 out, led by arrivals from OpenAI (3).

Public voices make up 2 of the 3 people here now (67%), and “ai governance” leads profile topics (3).Roles, current affiliations, profile topics, and recorded birth countries (1 known) and birth years (2 known) for the 3 people here now.

A summary of current people at OpenAI Foundation. It shows roles, affiliations, profile topics and birth countries known for 1 person. The median birth year uses 2 people.

Role categories

  • Public voices2
  • Lab leaders1

Current affiliations

  • OpenAI Foundation3

Top profile topics

  • ai governance3
  • philanthropy2
  • ai policy1
  • biomedicine1
  • civil society1

Birth countries

Known for 1 of 3 people now.

  • United States1

Median birth year

about 1958 (2 people)

Source: People of Superintelligence profiles, current career records and recorded birthplaces, as of 22 October 2026.

Data table
MeasureValuePeople
RolePublic voices2
RoleLab leaders1
Current affiliationOpenAI Foundation3
Profile topicai governance3
Profile topicphilanthropy2
Profile topicai policy1
Profile topicbiomedicine1
Profile topiccivil society1
Birth countryUnited States1
Birth country coverage1 of 3 people now1
Median birth yearabout 19582

Full arrivals and departures balanced at 3 each: arrivals came 3 from companies (100%), while departures went 2 to companies (67%) and 1 to labs, nonprofits or government.

From 2023 to 2026, 2 people joined and 1 left, a net gain of 1.Latest recorded transition per person, 2023–2026 (3 full moves and 0 roles taken alongside existing work).

A list of people who joined or left OpenAI Foundation from 2023 through 2026, with the year and move type.

Joined

Left

Source: People of Superintelligence career moves, as of 22 October 2026.

Data table
YearPersonDirectionOther organizationMove type
2026Anna MakanjuJoinedOpenAIFull move
2026Nicole SeligmanJoinedOpenAIFull move
2026Sue Desmond-HellmannLeftStand Up to CancerFull move

Compared with peer nonprofits, OpenAI Foundation ranks higher on current headcount (tied for 29th of 1,097) than on all-time headcount (tied for 74th); 3 of its 3 all-time people (100%) hold a current role here. Across work histories (excluding degrees), 3 of the 3 people who have worked at OpenAI Foundation (100%) also held a work role at another organization, connecting OpenAI Foundation to 20 peer institutions.

Among 1,097 nonprofits, OpenAI Foundation is tied for 29th on current people (3) and tied for 74th on all-time people (3).Standing across all organizations and organizations of the same type on current people, all-time people and combined h-index of current people. Ties share a rank.

A table compares OpenAI Foundation with 8827 organizations and 1097 organizations of the same type for current people, people ever and combined h-index where available.

People now

3 people

tied for 395th of 8,827 organizationstied for 29th of 1,097 nonprofits

People ever

3 people

tied for 1,291st of 8,827 organizationstied for 74th of 1,097 nonprofits

Combined h-index of people now

No confident statistics

Source: People of Superintelligence organization membership and confident OpenAlex statistics, as of 22 October 2026.

Data table
MeasureValueAll organizationsSame type
People now3tied for 395th of 8,827tied for 29th of 1,097
People ever3tied for 1,291st of 8,827tied for 74th of 1,097
Combined h-index of people nowNo confident statisticsNot rankedNot ranked
OpenAI shares the largest career overlap with OpenAI Foundation, at 3 of 3 people with work records elsewhere.Organizations where people with work records at OpenAI Foundation also worked at any time in their careers (3 people across 20 organizations; degrees excluded).

A ranked chart shows 5 organizations with people who also have work records at OpenAI Foundation. Each count is a distinct person with work stints at both organizations.

Source: People of Superintelligence affiliations and work stints, as of 22 October 2026.

Data table
OrganizationShared people
OpenAI3
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation1
International Criminal Court1
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia1
Meta1

People here now

The 3 people with a current role at OpenAI Foundation include 2 public voices and 1 lab leader. Earlier in their careers, 3 of the 3 held a work role at another organization, most often at OpenAI (2). 2 current people also hold a concurrent affiliation outside OpenAI Foundation.

Posts that include OpenAI Foundation

OpenAI Foundation appears in 1 research post comparing organizations across AI.

  1. Direct Form 990 pay in the latest returns of 39 nonprofits with AI people on this site is highest at $2.1M at the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) (2024)IRS Form 990 compensation across 39 nonprofits with AI people on this site from 2012 to 2025: in the latest returns, Mozilla reports $6.1M including related-company pay (2024) and the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) leads direct nonprofit pay at $2.1M (2024).