Robert Keele has stepped down from his role as head of legal at xAI after just over a year in the position.
In a public statement this week, he cited the need to spend more time with his two young children.
He also acknowledged a difference in values between himself and xAI founder Elon Musk.
“I love my two toddlers, and I don’t get to see them enough,” Keele wrote on X and LinkedIn. “I can’t keep riding two horses at once: the family and the job.”
Though he praised the role and described working with Musk as “the adventure of a lifetime,” Keele made it clear that the demands of the position came at a personal cost.
Keele’s Journey
Keele joined xAI in May 2024, just three weeks after launching a short-lived legal consultancy.
At the time, he said he could not turn down the opportunity to build the legal team at one of the most closely watched AI startups in the world.
Within weeks of his arrival, xAI closed a $6 billion Series B funding round. The round, backed by top firms such as Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital, valued xAI at $24 billion.
That growth continued, and in March 2025, xAI acquired Musk’s social platform, X (formerly Twitter).
Musk said the deal valued xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. As general counsel, Keele played a key role in those transactions.
He helped shape legal strategy during a period of fast-paced growth and public scrutiny.
Reactions
Keele’s exit sparked widespread support on social media. Many xAI employees, legal professionals, and parents applauded his decision.
Several praised him for setting boundaries and choosing family over career demands. His departure also adds to a growing list of leadership exits across Musk-led ventures.
Linda Yaccarino, the former CEO of X, left her role just a month earlier. Tesla has also seen several senior executives depart this year.
Work Culture
Elon Musk has long promoted a work culture centered on intensity and sacrifice. He openly expects long hours from employees.
Some have even slept at the office during key moments, particularly during Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter.
That mindset appears to be spreading. At Cognition, an emerging AI startup, the CEO recently told staff he rejects the concept of work-life balance altogether.
In his view, success comes through extreme focus, not compromise. Such approaches continue to draw criticism.
While some founders see them as necessary, others question their long-term sustainability.
New Legal Leadership
Lily Lim will succeed Keele as xAI’s new head of legal. She joined the company in late 2024 as a specialist in privacy and intellectual property law.
Lim brings a unique background. Before becoming a lawyer, she worked as a rocket scientist at NASA.
There, she focused on spacecraft navigation for a mission that mapped the surface of Venus.
She later transitioned into law, taking on legal roles at companies such as ServiceNow.
Her combination of technical and legal expertise may help xAI navigate future challenges, especially as AI regulation becomes more complex.
Executive Priorities
Keele’s decision reflects a larger shift happening across the tech industry. More executives are reconsidering what leadership should look like.
The traditional model, where personal life comes second, no longer suits everyone. His departure reinforces that success is no longer defined by professional titles alone.
Personal well-being, family time, and alignment of values now matter just as much.
