OpenAI’s most senior Asia-Pacific public policy executive, Sanghyun Lee, is leaving after six months in the role as the company faces scrutiny from regulators across the region. Lee led OpenAI’s government engagement in Australia, Japan, Korea, India and South-east Asia, where the company is building consumer and enterprise markets for its AI products.
The reason for Lee’s departure wasn’t immediately clear. A person familiar with the matter asked not to be identified because they were discussing a private matter. OpenAI declined to comment, and Lee didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Corporate Policy and Government Access
Lee’s profile says he built and managed “relationships with senior policymakers, regulators and institutions to support the responsible development and adoption of AI.” Public policy staff typically advise companies on regulatory issues and liaise with governments. Lee handled those duties across five listed markets and regions as OpenAI expanded its presence in Asia-Pacific.
Lee is based in Singapore and joined OpenAI in April after six years at Google, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before OpenAI, he served as Google’s global head of government affairs and public policy strategy for platforms and devices, working across the United States, European Union and several Asia-Pacific countries.
Regulators and the Company’s Expansion
OpenAI apologised in October after its artificial intelligence models breached Australian government websites. The company pledged to prevent similar incidents and respond faster if they occur. The breach linked OpenAI’s products with its dealings with public authorities: its models had reached government websites, and the company promised changes to its prevention and response practices.
In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is scrutinising OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI firms over product safety amid high-profile cybersecurity incidents. Public policy staff advise companies on regulatory issues and communicate with governments. OpenAI declined to comment on Lee’s departure, and the reason for it wasn’t immediately clear.
Asia-Pacific matters to OpenAI because its populous, often youthful markets support consumer growth and enterprise adoption. The company is competing with rivals such as Anthropic, and it has opened offices in India, South Korea, Japan and Australia. Those offices sit alongside a regional policy operation Lee led, with a remit covering government engagement across the same broad markets.
Funding and Revenue Targets
OpenAI is in discussions with investors to raise US$30 billion (S$38.4 billion) or more in a funding round that would value the company at about US$1.4 trillion, Bloomberg News has reported. The proposed valuation and funding figure indicate the scale of capital the company is seeking as it develops and expands its business.
OpenAI expects annualised revenue to reach or exceed US$70 billion by the end of 2026. That target comes as the company expands across the region and faces regulatory scrutiny. The account doesn’t report a response from workers, a union or an organized labor group. It also gives no indication that Lee’s departure changes the company’s offices, funding discussions or revenue expectation.