Elon Musk’s Final Co-Founders Depart Amid Major Startup Rebuild
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In a significant development for the artificial intelligence sector, Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has reportedly lost its final remaining co-founders, marking a complete turnover of the company’s original leadership team as it undergoes foundational restructuring under SpaceX ownership. This departure comes at a critical juncture for the ambitious AI venture, which Musk recently claimed needed to be “rebuilt from the foundations up.” xAI Leadership Exodus Reaches Completion According to multiple reports from Business Insider, Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen—the last two of Elon Musk’s 11 original xAI co-founders—have now departed the company. This development follows earlier reports indicating that nine other co-founders had already left the artificial intelligence startup. Kroiss reportedly informed colleagues about his departure earlier this month, while Nordeen left the company on Friday, March 27, 2026. Both executives held crucial positions within xAI’s organizational structure. Kroiss led the company’s pretraining team, responsible for developing foundational AI models. Meanwhile, Nordeen served as Musk’s “right-hand operator,” bringing extensive experience from Tesla and involvement in major organizational changes at X (formerly Twitter) following Musk’s 2022 acquisition. Their simultaneous departure represents a substantial shift in xAI’s operational leadership. Strategic Restructuring Under SpaceX Umbrella The leadership changes coincide with significant corporate restructuring at xAI. Recently, Musk’s SpaceX acquired the artificial intelligence startup, bringing together three major Musk-led ventures under a single corporate structure. This consolidation includes SpaceX, xAI, and X Corporation. The timing is particularly noteworthy as SpaceX reportedly prepares for a potential public offering, suggesting strategic alignment across Musk’s technology portfolio. Musk’s recent comments about xAI needing reconstruction “from the foundations up” indicate substantial operational changes. Industry analysts suggest this complete leadership turnover might represent a deliberate strategy rather than coincidental departures. The restructuring could involve shifting xAI’s focus, integrating more closely with SpaceX’s technological capabilities, or pursuing different AI…
Filed under: News - @ March 28, 2026 5:10 pm