Sachin Katti Steps Down as OpenAI's Head of Computing Capacity, Uday Ruddarraju Takes Over

Sachin Katti, who has been leading OpenAI's computing capacity efforts since late 2025, is stepping down from his operational role to become an advisor, effective November 15, 2026. This change comes as OpenAI anticipates a significant increase in its compute spending, projected to reach approximately $750 billion through 2030.

Uday Ruddarraju, who has served as the Chief Technology Officer of Compute since July 2026, will take over the infrastructure and compute operations. Ruddarraju brings experience from his previous role at xAI, a competitor of OpenAI, where he led infrastructure engineering projects.

Katti’s departure follows a trend of high-profile exits from OpenAI's data center operations, including Chris Malone earlier this year. Under Katti’s leadership, the company expanded its cloud partnerships and pursued large-scale leasing projects, but faced challenges with in-house data center initiatives like the Stargate project.

The leadership transition raises questions about the future direction of OpenAI's infrastructure strategy and whether the projected compute spending will hold steady or be revised again.