XAI Legal Chief Resigns Amid Leadership Rift, Family Priorities

Robert Keele resigned from his position as head of legal at Elon Musk's AI startup xAI after just over a year, citing a desire to spend more time with his two toddlers and acknowledging a philosophical divide with Musk. Keele joined xAI in May 2024, shortly before a $6 billion Series B funding round that valued the company at $24 billion and preceded xAI's acquisition of Musk’s social media platform X, with Musk valuing xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. His departure reflects broader executive turnover trends within Musk’s companies, often attributed to Musk's demanding leadership style and expectations of intense work commitment. Keele’s background included legal leadership roles at Elroy Air and Airbus’s Silicon Valley innovation hub, preparing him for the complex challenges at xAI during its rapid growth. Lily Lim, a former NASA rocket scientist and privacy and IP expert who joined xAI in late 2024, has been appointed as the new head of legal, signaling xAI's commitment to maintaining strong governance amid its expansion. Keele’s exit highlights ongoing tensions between personal priorities and corporate pressures in the fast-evolving AI industry.