Sept 25 Reuters Three top technical leaders at Microsoftbacked OpenAI quit on Wednesday, the latest in a string of executive departures this year coming at a time of flux for the ChatGPT maker.

Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, VP Research Barret Zoph and Chief Research Officer Bob McGrew all announced their departures via X on Wednesday afternoon.

The San Franciscobased artificial intelligence startup is negotiating a new 6.5 billion financing round valuing the company at 150 billion, contingent on the company upending its corporate structure.

The company plans to restructure to a forprofit benefit corporation and will give CEO Sam Altman an equity stake, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Currently, a nonprofit board controls the forprofit entity, an unusual structure which led to members of the nonprofit board ousting Altman in November 2023 over a breakdown in communication and loss of trust. He was reinstated after five days.

The funding round has not closed yet and the company is in the process of finalizing it.

It was unclear whether the executives39; departure could affect the ongoing fundraise. Some fundraising documents contain a material adverse change clause which allows investors to withdraw from a deal if the company encounters anything that could have a significant negative impact.

Murati is still working at OpenAI while she negotiates her exit from the company, according to a source close to Murati. She has been part of the ChatGPT maker for 612…