The head of OpenAI is a major Trump donor

Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s co-founder and longtime chairman, has never made a regular donation to a major pro-Trump political action committee — together, his and his wife Anna’s September 2025 donations were the largest ever, totaling $25 million to MAGA Inc. Last deposit. The Brockman family’s donations accounted for nearly a quarter of the six-month fundraising cycle.

It’s the latest in a string of examples of tech executives cozying up to President Trump’s administration, and it’s happening as the administration aggressively seeks to shore up the AI ​​industry and roll back state-level regulations that companies like OpenAI have largely opposed. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brockman’s multimillion-dollar donation is not the only example of him spending large sums, in his name, on lobbying efforts aimed at potentially dismantling regulation of the AI ​​industry. The pro-AI super PAC “Leading the Future,” of which Brockman belongs Great supporterbought ads targeting New York State Assemblyman Alex Burris — a co-sponsor of New York’s RAISE Act, which was Diluted At the last minute after a coordinated lobbying effort.

Although news of the Brockman family’s donations first surfaced earlier this month, it has seen a resurgence in online discussion after… Alex Peretti recently passed away In Minneapolis, where federal officers fatally shot two people during an anti-immigrant crackdown. Tech workers from across the industry, including many employees at OpenAI, have I signed a letter Call on their executives to cancel all contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and publicly condemn the department’s actions. “when Trump threatened to send the National Guard to San Francisco In October, technology industry leaders contacted the White House, according to the petition’s website. And it worked: Trump backed down. Today we’re calling on our CEOs to pick up the phone again.

However, since Trump’s inauguration, one tech leader after another has donated to his inauguration fund, flocked to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him, or attended the White House. Dinner is next to him. In turn, they have made the administration eager to roll back consumer protections and technology regulation. Trump’s AI action plan revived A A failed republican attempt to Strip countries From passing AI regulations to technology leaders Joy. The new provision states that “AI is too important to be stifled by bureaucracy at this early stage” and that the government “should not allow federal funding related to AI to be directed toward states with burdensome AI regulations that waste these funds,” although it should also “not interfere with the rights of states to pass prudent laws that do not unduly restrict creativity.” The moratorium’s targets include SB 53, a landmark AI transparency bill signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in September despite several tech companies lobbying against it. Including OpenAI.

In 2019, Brockman co-wrote A Blog post About how difficult it is to “change powerful systems… once they are deployed,” and that “it is important to address the safety and policy risks of AGI before it is built.” Six years later, the tone of his posts has changed, highlighting the importance of “approaching emerging technology with a growth-focused mindset.” In a New Year’s Eve blog post On X“This year, my wife Anna and I began political engagement, including through political contributions, reflecting support for policies that promote American innovation and constructive dialogue between government and the technology sector,” Brockman wrote. He added that “it was great to see the willingness of the President and his administration to engage directly with the AI ​​community.”