Ilya Sutskever, one of the co-founders of OpenAI, has officially taken over as CEO of Safe Superintelligence, the startup he launched in 2024. The news was confirmed in a post on X, where Sutskever announced that Daniel Gross, who had been serving as CEO, stepped down on 29 June. Daniel Levy, another co-founder, has now assumed the role of president. This leadership change comes at a critical time, with the company drawing significant attention from top tech firms.
Recent reports suggest that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in discussions to bring both Gross and his investment partner, Nat Friedman, into Meta. There were even claims that Zuckerberg attempted to acquire Safe Superintelligence entirely, a company reportedly valued at around $32 billion. Sutskever addressed these developments directly, saying the startup remains focused on its mission and is not entertaining acquisition talks. He emphasised that the team has the resources and vision needed to keep building what they refer to as “safe superintelligence”.
Gross’ departure has raised some eyebrows. If the company was close to reaching its ambitious goal, why would a co-founder leave? Some speculate that Gross may prefer a more product-oriented role at Meta, which is building out its own AI unit known as Meta Superintelligence Labs. There, AI breakthroughs may be quickly integrated into consumer products, an environment Gross is familiar with, given his past role at Apple following the acquisition of his earlier startup.
Safe Superintelligence is unique in its mission. It has no plans to develop side products or services; its entire focus is on developing safe superintelligent systems. This “straight-shot” approach is rare in the tech world, where startups typically diversify or pivot to remain viable. The company was born after Sutskever departed from OpenAI, which followed his involvement in the short-lived removal of Sam Altman as CEO.Now at the helm, Sutskever faces the realities of leading a high-profile startup. While he brings deep technical experience from his time as OpenAI’s chief scientist, the role of CEO will demand more than technical leadership. He will need to attract top talent, manage investor expectations, and build a sustainable organisation, all while keeping the focus on the ambitious goal of building safe superintelligence.
