Robert Keele recently announced his resignation from the xAI legal head position. He served in the position for a little more than a year. He has made it clear that he’s choosing family first. This decision is driven by his launching pad to have more time with young kids.
Keele made the announcement of his public exit from xAI on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn. He joined the company in May 2024, just prior to xAI’s impressive $6 billion Series B funding round, which elevated the company’s valuation to $24 billion. During his tenure, Keele helped navigate the legal challenges associated with rapid growth, but he has expressed a need to balance his professional life with family commitments.
I really miss my two babies! Sadly, I don’t see them like I should be able to,” Keele said, conveying the emotional toll of his choice. He further elaborated on the complexities of managing both work and family life by noting the challenge of “riding two horses at once — the family and the job.”
Prior to joining xAI, Keele operated a short fractional legal practice. In addition, he focused on privacy and intellectual property matters at businesses including ServiceNow. His experience and knowledge in all of these domains were huge assets to xAI while the company has still been in its formative stages.
It was especially tough for Keele to reconcile his views with xAI’s founder, Elon Musk. When he announced his resignation, colleagues took to Twitter and other platforms to thank him for his service and share their support. Fellow colleagues shared emotional stories about Keele’s family-first influence while praising her feminist business-building work at the helm of the company.
As Keele leaves, Lily Lim will assume his duties at xAI. Lim brings a unique background to her new role. She was a rocket scientist at NASA before transitioning into law. Her experience will greatly improve xAI’s legal team as it rapidly expands in the cutthroat competitive tech landscape.
Keele’s next moves remain a cliffhanger. His departure is an undeniable blow to xAI, but given the quality of legal leadership left behind, that should prove a major advantage. His focus on family values resonates deeply with many in the tech community. This is especially so for parents who are facing the same struggles themselves.
