OpenAI hires former xAI sales executive to lead cybersecurity business

Representative image.OpenAI has tapped former SpaceX executive Graham Seamans to lead sales for its growing cybersecurity division, according to a Bloomberg report.

This marks yet another high-profile talent poached by the ChatGPT developer from Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence ventures.Before making the switch, Seamans had been heading the sales team at xAI since August 2025.

The report highlighted that he was a key figure in the company's renewed push to sell the Grok chatbot to Wall Street.

Prior to his time at xAI, his LinkedIn profile shows an eight-year tenure at MongoDB.This executive movement highlights a growing pipeline of talent shifting between the rival tech giants.

Since September, OpenAI has also brought on Brian McCarthy and Ismail Elmas for its European operations.

Both previously worked for Cursor, a coding automation startup that SpaceX acquired in August for a massive $60 billion, or roughly ₹5,04,000 crore.The Bloomberg report noted that OpenAI has also tapped into the SpaceX AI compute team, recruiting staffers like Uday Ruddarraju and Brent Mayo.This aggressive recruitment drive aligns with OpenAI’s broader strategy to widen its commercial footprint.The company is actively working to boost enterprise sales and unlock new revenue streams, such as advertising, as it prepares for a potential public listing.The ongoing talent war is underpinned by a deep-rooted corporate rivalry.

Musk, who helped establish OpenAI, recently lost a lawsuit against the firm.

He had argued that the AI lab "betrayed its mission to the public by changing to a for-profit business."Following the legal fallout, Musk launched his competing developer, xAI, which he subsequently merged with SpaceX.