--- title: "Neuralink Cofounder Leaves as Brain Company Descends Into Chaos" description: "As if Elon Musk's ventures could handle any more drama, another of Neuralink's cofounders has left the neurotechnology company amid an apparent slow exodus of executives. Reported by Reuters, the exit of Neuralink cofounder Paul Merolla makes the sixth of eight cofounders of the brain implant company to leave over the last few years, which doesn't […]" date: "2022-07-19" modified: "2022-07-19" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/neuralink-cofounder-leaves" categories: - "Brain" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "brain hacking" - "brain implants" - "brain-computer inferface" - "elon musk" - "neuralink" - "Startups" - "the digest" --- # Neuralink Cofounder Leaves as Brain Company Descends Into Chaos ![Another of Neuralink's cofounders has left the neurotechnology company amid an apparent slow exodus of the Elon Musk venture's executives.]() *\Image: Neuralink/Futurism\* ## Brain Drain As if Elon Musk's ventures could handle any more drama, another of Neuralink's cofounders has left the troubled neurotech outfit amid a slow exodus of execs. Reported [by *Reuters*](), the exit of Neuralink cofounder Paul Merolla makes the sixth of eight cofounders of the brain implant company to leave over the last few years, which doesn't seem like a very good sign for the company that Musk promised would be a "[Fitbit in your skull]()." Two people familiar with the matter told *Reuters* only that Merolla, who [per his website]() is a deep machine learning expert, had left the company. As of now, the reasons for his exit are unknown. ## Rough Patch In spite of the vague details about Merolla's departure, however, there's a lot of reporting suggesting that Neuralink, founded in 2016, is struggling to gain the traction of Tesla or SpaceX. STAT [reported in 2020]() that the company was struggling with rushed deadlines and unexpectedly killed projects, with a number of other company cofounders having already left. Reports have also emerged of the company [allegedly abusing primate subjects]() and that [21 percent of ]()[its ]()[brain-hacked monkeys died]() because of issues with their implants, and former employees have [griped about working conditions there](). Last year, Neuralink president [Max Hodak abruptly departed the venture]() under a shroud of mystery, which left the company all the more unmoored. Hodak proceeded [to found his own vaguely-described neurotech startup](), Science Corp, and took some ranking Neuralink employees with him in 2021. Early in 2022, he [went on to invest in another Neuralink rival](), Synchron, which beat the Musk company to became [the first in the US]() to implant a brain-computer interface (BCI) into human patients. Chaos is a given at Musk's ventures. But unless it pushes ahead on human implants, it's not clear how much more Neuralink can endure. **READ MORE:** [Neuralink co-founder departs Musk-backed startup]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Musk:** *[This Trial May Mean Elon Musk Is in Big Trouble]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()