xAI Loses Another Original Co-Founder
Ross Nordeen’s reported departure leaves only one original co-founder still tied to xAI as the company adjusts to new ownership and a broader internal reshuffle.
Topics
News
- xAI Loses Another Original Co-Founder
- BCCI, Google India tie-up Brings AI Insights to IPL
- UP Pulls Plug on Puch AI Deal Over Financial Gaps
- Blackstone-Backed EPL to Merge With Indorama Unit in $2 Billion Packaging Deal
- Eli Lilly Taps Insilico in $2.75 Billion AI Drug Deal
- Apple Hires Former Google Executive as it Retools Siri
Image Credit- Diksha Mishra/ MIT Sloan Management Review India
A series of senior departures has left Elon Musk as the only remaining member of xAI’s original founding group still tied to the company, Business Insider reported.
The latest exit is Ross Nordeen, coming just days after Manuel Kroiss reportedly told associates he was also stepping away, according to Business Insider.
There has been no official comment from the company or the departing executives.
Business Insider said Nordeen’s departure was reflected in the removal of his xAI employee badge on X.
Both Kroiss and Nordeen worked closely with Musk.
Kroiss led xAI’s pretraining team, while Nordeen operated as Musk’s “right-hand operator.” Nordeen is also understood to have joined from Tesla and was involved in planning large-scale layoffs at X following Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022.
The exits add to a steady stream of departures over recent months.
Zihang Dai is reported to have left earlier this month, while Guodong Zhang publicly confirmed his departure.
In late February, Toby Pohlen stepped down, marking the seventh co-founder exit in under three years, following Jimmy Ba and Tony Wu.
Earlier departures include Kyle Kosic in 2024, and Igor Babuschkin and Christian Szegedy in 2025. Greg Yang had also indicated in January that he would step back after being diagnosed with Lyme disease.
The broader reshuffle comes amid changes across Musk’s companies.
The departures reportedly accelerated after SpaceX acquired xAI in February. Earlier, xAI had acquired X in March 2025.
At the same time, SpaceX is preparing for a potential initial public offering that could value the company at around $1.75 trillion. Reuters has reported that Musk may allocate up to 30% of IPO shares to retail investors, a move that could shape how ownership is distributed.
With most of its founding team now gone, xAI is entering a new phase under SpaceX ownership, with questions hanging over its leadership structure and long-term direction.
