OpenAI names ex-xAI exec Uday Ruddarraju to lead compute and infrastructure as Sachin Katti departs

#What happened

OpenAI has appointed Uday Ruddarraju, its CTO for compute, to lead both the company's infrastructure and compute businesses. The appointment was first reported by Bloomberg on Oct. 14 and covered by PYMNTS and Data Center Dynamics.

Ruddarraju is a former xAI executive who joined OpenAI in 2025 and became CTO for compute in July. He replaces Sachin Katti at the head of the infrastructure unit; Katti is transitioning out of that role but will remain with OpenAI as an advisor. In a LinkedIn post, Katti said he decided to move on to build something new, with his last day at OpenAI set for Nov. 15.

Data Center Dynamics notes that Katti joined OpenAI from Intel in November 2025 and took over the Stargate data-center effort in March, while Ruddarraju's data-center team has been bolstered by fellow former xAI hires. The Wall Street Journal separately reported Katti is leaving after about a year and that the infrastructure unit has seen a series of leadership changes. Other recent departures include Brad Lightcap, Denise Dresser, and data-center lead Chris Malone, per Bloomberg coverage.

#Why it matters

The shake-up puts a single leader with deep data-center experience from xAI in charge of both compute and infrastructure at a moment of extraordinary buildout: the WSJ reports OpenAI expects to spend about $750 billion on computing power through 2030, up from the $600 billion reported earlier this year. A string of senior exits — with Katti departing after roughly a year atop infrastructure — raises questions about stability in the unit tasked with delivering the Stargate data-center effort and the compute capacity OpenAI says it needs.