Elon Musk’s last original co-founder at xAI, Ross Nordeen, has reportedly resigned. This marks the end of an era for the company, which is currently undergoing a major reorganization as it prepares for a high-profile IPO.
Background on Nordeen
Nordeen was one of the 11 co-founders who helped launch xAI with Musk. He had experience in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence systems from his work at Tesla, and brought that knowledge to xAI. Nordeen was a key figure at xAI, reporting directly to Musk and overseeing the company’s operations.
Leadership Turnover and Scaling Challenges
Nordeen’s exit reflects a broader pattern at xAI, which has experienced multiple high-profile departures in recent months. This comes amid a wave of exits that started with Igor Babuschkin, who left in August 2025 to launch a new AI safety venture, and several others in a short span of time. Nordeen joins a list of co-founders who have left the company, including:
- Manuel Kroiss
- Guodong Zhang
- Zihang Dai
- Toby Pohlen
- Jimmy Ba
- Tony Wu
- Greg Yang
Current State of xAI
Since SpaceX merged with xAI, the company has undergone major restructuring, with many leaders appointed by Musk to key projects departing. Although it is one of the best-funded players in the AI sector, xAI has struggled to scale and compete with major rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic. Despite these challenges, Musk remains optimistic about the future of xAI and has acknowledged the need to rebuild the company from the ground up. xAI has been actively recruiting new talent, including senior leaders from the AI coding company Cursor, Andrew Milich, and Jason Ginsberg.
Future Outlook
As xAI continues to navigate its current challenges, the company’s future outlook remains uncertain. However, with Musk at the helm and a renewed focus on recruiting top talent, xAI may yet emerge as a major player in the AI sector. Only time will tell if the company can overcome its current struggles and achieve its full potential.