OpenAI, the artificial intelligence powerhouse, announced on Tuesday that Adebayo Ogunlesi, Senior Managing Director at BlackRock and founding partner of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), will join its board of directors.
Ogunlesi, whose firm GIP was acquired by BlackRock last year for $12 billion, brings decades of experience in infrastructure and investment, having also spent 23 years at Credit Suisse.
In a statement from OpenAI, Ogunlesi expressed enthusiasm about the potential of artificial intelligence to create meaningful societal change.
“The rapid advancement and development of AI offers a unique opportunity to build a better future,” Ogunlesi said. “As part of this, thoughtful strategies and investment in infrastructure will be key to unlocking AI’s full potential and delivering its benefits responsibly. I’m excited to contribute to this effort and look forward to being a part of the OpenAI Board.”
Ogunlesi’s appointment is the latest step in OpenAI’s evolution from its nonprofit roots to a high-growth for-profit enterprise. The company has revamped its board significantly since late 2023, following the brief ousting and reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman.
Current board members include notable names such as:
- Bret Taylor, former Salesforce co-CEO and ex-Twitter chair, became chair of OpenAI’s board in November 2023.
- Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary.
- Fidji Simo, Instacart CEO.
- Dr. Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The expanded board reflects OpenAI’s push to balance commercial ambitions with ethical considerations in AI development.
Founded as a nonprofit in 2015, OpenAI announced in December 2024 that it would operate as a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), enabling it to manage commercial operations while supporting charitable activities in health care, education, and science.
The company, valued at $157 billion last year, is capitalizing on its position as a leader in generative artificial intelligence, following the success of tools like ChatGPT and its cutting-edge large language models.
