OpenAI loses 2 more senior execs as Google poaches PE head

(Bloomberg) -- The war for top AI talent escalated this week as Google hired OpenAI’s head of private equity, Paul Zimmerman, the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the ChatGPT maker. The move shows the intensifying focus on securing lucrative enterprise contracts as the generative AI race shifts from consumer buzz to corporate revenue.

OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The fierce competition for a limited pool of specialized executives underscores the high stakes involved as AI labs rush to commercialize their technology.

Zimmerman, who led OpenAI’s private equity partnerships for just over a year, will now spearhead Google's efforts to sell its AI solutions to PE firms and their portfolio companies. His departure was followed by that of James Dyett, OpenAI's head of sales, who is moving to venture capital firm Thrive Capital, a major OpenAI backer. The two exits come after three other senior employees left the company in a single day in mid-April, signaling potential internal pressures at the AI leader.

The moves highlight a critical strategic shift in the AI industry over the past year. With consumer-facing chatbots becoming commoditized, the real prize is now seen as the enterprise market. Private equity firms, which control thousands of companies, represent a massive and efficient channel to deploy AI at scale and generate steady, long-term revenue.

Private Equity Gold Rush

The race to partner with private equity is well underway, with billions of dollars at stake. OpenAI is reportedly launching a $10 billion joint venture with firms including TPG and Bain Capital, according to reports from Bloomberg and Reuters. This follows a similar move by rival Anthropic, which recently announced a $1.5 billion partnership with PE firms to bring its AI models to their portfolio companies.

Google is not standing still. The technology giant is in discussions with major players like Blackstone and KKR to integrate its own AI models into their operations, Bloomberg has reported. Zimmerman’s hire is a direct shot at its rivals, aiming to leverage his experience and network to accelerate Google’s push into this lucrative channel.

A Widening Talent War

While the battle for enterprise clients rages, a parallel conflict is brewing within the AI labs themselves. At Google’s DeepMind division in London, employees have voted to unionize, seeking to block the company from providing its technology to the US and Israeli militaries. This follows Alphabet’s removal of a pledge against using AI in weapons from its ethics guidelines in February 2025, a move that has caused concern among staff who joined under the mantra of building AI “to benefit humanity.”

The unionization effort reflects a growing unease across the industry. Staff at both DeepMind and OpenAI recently signed an open letter supporting Anthropic after it was designated a potential supply chain risk by the US Department of Defense for refusing to allow its AI to be used in autonomous weapons. Despite this, the Pentagon recently confirmed deals with seven top AI companies, including Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft, to use their models on classified networks, suggesting the push toward militarization is gaining momentum.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.