Fidji Simo is a French-American technology executive, founder and Tech Billionaire who’s run product at Meta (Facebook), led Instacart as CEO through a critical period in its history, co-founded a leading women’s health research clinic, and — most recently — taken on an applications leadership role at OpenAI. Here’s a detailed look at her life, education, career path, leadership approach and public influence.
Fidji Simo’s early life and background
Fidji Simo grew up in Sète, a small fishing town in southern France. She was the first in her immediate family to receive a high school diploma, and she has often attributed her humble origins to both the strong will and the hunger for opportunity that have taken her far beyond the modest small town where she grew up.
Fidji Simo’s educational career
Fidji Simo graduated with a Master of Science (Master in Management) from HEC Paris, one of Europe’s top business schools. She completed the final year of her studies at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management before landing in the U.S. tech sector. Her schooling — from a scholarship student at HEC to time spent studying in Los Angeles — is often mentioned in accounts of how she has risen from humble beginnings to a senior tech leader.
Personal life
Simo is married and has a daughter. She splits time between the U.S. and public engagements in Europe, remains active in speaking roles (for example, commencement addresses and industry events), and maintains a presence on professional and social platforms where she discusses product leadership and health initiatives.
Early career — eBay and the shift to product
Early life. After graduation, Simo began her professional career in strategy at eBay (2007–11). At eBay, she worked on local commerce and classified-advertising efforts, gaining early experience in product strategy for online marketplaces — a foundation that would prepare her for roles overseeing large consumer products teams and monetisation teams at the company.
Facebook (Meta) — product leadership and scaling features
In 2011, Simo joined Facebook and, over roughly a decade, rose through the product ranks to become head of the Facebook app. During her tenure, she led or oversaw major product areas including News Feed, Stories, Groups, Video, Marketplace and monetisation efforts (advertising and mobile monetisation), and she is credited with shepherding features like Facebook Live and Watch as the company doubled down on video and mobile ad products. Her role at Facebook established her reputation as a leader who can build and scale consumer-facing products and the business models around them.
Instacart — CEO, IPO, and transformation
In mid-2021, Simo joined Instacart’s board and soon after was named CEO, taking the operational helm from founder Apoorva Mehta. As CEO, she led the company’s strategic push beyond basic grocery delivery into broader commerce and retail partnerships, and guided Instacart through its 2023 public listing. Her time at Instacart is often framed around productizing grocery and retail technology at scale and expanding the company’s business beyond delivery into shopper tools, partnerships, and advertising/monetisation for retailers.
Metrodora Institute — and personal motivation
Alongside her tech career, Simo co-founded the Metrodora Institute (and the Metrodora Foundation), a multidisciplinary clinic and research centre that focuses on diagnosing and treating complex neuroimmune conditions (conditions such as POTS, long COVID, ME/CFS, and other poorly understood syndromes that disproportionately affect women). Reports indicate the institute grew from Simo’s personal struggles getting a proper diagnosis and from her interest in advancing interdisciplinary medical research and care models. The institute opened clinics and launched research efforts to integrate patient care and scientific study better.
Move to OpenAI — CEO of Applications
In May 2025, OpenAI announced that Simo would leave Instacart to take on a newly created role as CEO of Applications at OpenAI, reporting to Sam Altman. The role is described as overseeing product, business, engineering and other functions that deliver OpenAI’s technology to users — effectively translating foundational AI research into consumer and enterprise applications at scale. Her appointment was widely covered in tech press as a significant hire signalling OpenAI’s emphasis on product and commercialisation. Reports indicate she remained involved at Instacart during a transition period and began her new responsibilities at OpenAI later in 2025.
Leadership style and priorities
Profiles and speeches by Simo emphasise a few recurring themes in her leadership approach:
- Product focus: She is known for being intensely product- and metrics-driven, with an eye for scaling features that drive engagement and monetisation.
- Customer empathy: both at Facebook and Instacart, she emphasised designing for end users while balancing business fundamentals.
- Resilience and learning: Simo often speaks about being comfortable in “a space of discomfort,” a mindset she attributes to her own non-traditional path into tech and leadership.
- Public purpose: her involvement with Metrodora signals an interest in mission-driven initiatives, especially around women’s health and interdisciplinary research. (hecstories.fr)
Notable achievements & impact
- Built and scaled multiple high-impact consumer features at Facebook that contributed to the company’s mobile ad revenue engine.
- Led Instacart through growth and a public listing while pushing the company toward expanded retail and advertising products.
- Cofounded Metrodora to address gaps in care and research for complex neuroimmune disorders, amplifying attention on women’s health in the tech founder ecosystem.
- Appointed by OpenAI to a newly created product leadership role, signalling trust in her ability to operationalise large-scale consumer and enterprise AI applications.
Outlook and legacy
Fidji Simo’s trajectory — from a small French town to leading consumer product teams, a major marketplace company, a healthcare research initiative, and now a central product role at one of the world’s most influential AI labs — positions her at the intersection of product, business, and public purpose. Her work at OpenAI will likely be watched closely by both technologists and business leaders as the company seeks to turn increasingly powerful AI capabilities into safe, broadly applicable, and sustainable applications.
Fidji Simo Net Worth 2025
The estimated net worth of Fidji Simo is at least $25 Million dollars as of December-2025. Fidji Simo is the Director of Maplebear Inc and owns about 565,677 shares of Maplebear Inc (CART) stock worth over $25 Million. Details can be seen in Fidji Simo’s Latest Holdings Summary section.
