Elon Musk’s xAI sees co-founder exit, Jimmy Ba bids farewell
Two xAI co-founders step down within hours, raising questions about internal shifts following its SpaceX merger.
- Feb 11, 2026,
- Updated Feb 11, 2026 12:09 PM IST
In just two days, Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has lost two of its co-founders. First, we came across Tony Wu resigning from the company, and hours later, researcher Jimmy Ba also announced the departure, releasing a heartfelt statement on X (formerly Twitter).
In the post, Ba writes a thank-you note to Elon Musk, saying, “ Enormous thanks to @elonmusk for bringing us together on this incredible journey. So proud of what the xAI team has done and will continue to stay close as a friend of the team. Thank you all for the grind together. The people and camaraderie are the real treasures at this place.”
As he departs, Ba said, “It’s time to recalibrate my gradient on the big picture.” He added, “2026 is gonna be insane and likely the busiest (and most consequential) year for the future of our species.”
During his time at xAI, Jimmy Ba was the core researcher, apart from being the co-founder of the company. He was part of the crucial team behind the development of the Grok series of models, including Grok 3. CNBC also reported that Ba also contributed to research for the Grok version 4 AI models. Hence, he was a crucial member of the company.
Reportedly, Ba and Wu, both were among the 12 xAI co-founders when they founded xAI back in 2025. Now, in less than three years, several co-founders have already left the organisation, marking a major shift in the executive level. Previously, co-founders Igor Babuschkin, Kyle Kosic, and Christian Szegedy stepped down from the role. In addition, just last month, Greg Yang also announced his departure due to health reasons.
Wa and Bu departures happened soon after xAI merged with SpaceX, suggesting the merger may have influenced leadership changes or internal restructuring.
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In just two days, Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has lost two of its co-founders. First, we came across Tony Wu resigning from the company, and hours later, researcher Jimmy Ba also announced the departure, releasing a heartfelt statement on X (formerly Twitter).
In the post, Ba writes a thank-you note to Elon Musk, saying, “ Enormous thanks to @elonmusk for bringing us together on this incredible journey. So proud of what the xAI team has done and will continue to stay close as a friend of the team. Thank you all for the grind together. The people and camaraderie are the real treasures at this place.”
As he departs, Ba said, “It’s time to recalibrate my gradient on the big picture.” He added, “2026 is gonna be insane and likely the busiest (and most consequential) year for the future of our species.”
During his time at xAI, Jimmy Ba was the core researcher, apart from being the co-founder of the company. He was part of the crucial team behind the development of the Grok series of models, including Grok 3. CNBC also reported that Ba also contributed to research for the Grok version 4 AI models. Hence, he was a crucial member of the company.
Reportedly, Ba and Wu, both were among the 12 xAI co-founders when they founded xAI back in 2025. Now, in less than three years, several co-founders have already left the organisation, marking a major shift in the executive level. Previously, co-founders Igor Babuschkin, Kyle Kosic, and Christian Szegedy stepped down from the role. In addition, just last month, Greg Yang also announced his departure due to health reasons.
Wa and Bu departures happened soon after xAI merged with SpaceX, suggesting the merger may have influenced leadership changes or internal restructuring.
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine