Greg Brockman mentioned he began “getting involved politically” in 2025.
Greg Brockman mentioned he began “getting involved politically” in 2025.
OpenAI’s co-founder and long-serving president, Greg Brockman, did not merely contribute a typical donation to the primary pro-Trump super PAC — combined, he and his spouse Anna’s September 2025 contributions amounted to the largest of all, reaching $25 million to “MAGA Inc.,” according to a recent disclosure. The Brockmans’ funding represented around one-fourth of the six-month fundraising span.
This marks the latest in a series of incidents where tech leaders align themselves with President Trump’s administration, which is actively seeking to strongly support the AI sector and undermine state-level regulations that entities like OpenAI significantly oppose. OpenAI did not respond immediately to a request for a statement.
Brockman’s sizable donation isn’t the lone instance of him investing heavily, under his own name, in lobbying initiatives aiming to dismantle prospective AI industry regulations. The pro-AI super PAC “Leading the Future,” of which Brockman is a significant supporter, has purchased advertisements targeting New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores — a cosponsor of New York’s RAISE Act, which was diluted at the last minute following organized lobbying maneuvers.
While the news of the Brockmans’ contributions was initially reported earlier this month, it has seen a resurgence in online discussions following the recent passing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where federal officials fatally shot two individuals amid an anti-immigrant crackdown. Tech professionals from all sectors, including many employees at OpenAI, have signed a petition urging their CEOs to terminate all agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and openly denounce the department’s conduct. “When Trump threatened to dispatch the national guard to San Francisco in October, tech industry leaders reached out to the White House,” the petition’s site states. “It had results: Trump retreated. Right now, we’re urging our CEOs to make that call again.”
Nevertheless, since Trump’s inauguration, tech leader after tech leader has contributed to his inaugural fund, visited Mar-a-Lago for discussions, or participated in White House dinners alongside him. In exchange, they’ve received an administration keen to roll back consumer protections and technology regulations. Trump’s AI Action Plan revived a failed Republican effort to prevent states from enacting AI regulations, much to the joy of tech leaders everywhere. The new clause stipulates that “AI is critically too important to be hindered by bureaucracy at this foundational stage” and that the government “must not permit AI-related Federal funding to be allocated to states with burdensome AI regulations that squander these resources,” while also affirming that it “shall not infringe upon states’ rights to enact sensible laws that do not unnecessarily restrict innovation.” Targets of this moratorium incorporate SB 53, the landmark AI transparency legislation California Gov. Gavin Newsom ratified in September, despite opposition from numerous tech corporations, including OpenAI.
In 2019, Brockman co-authored a blog entry on the difficulties of “altering powerful systems … once they have been deployed,” stating that it’s “crucial to tackle AGI’s safety and policy threats before it comes into existence.” Six years later, his writings have evolved in tone, stressing the significance of “approaching emerging technology with a forward-oriented mentality.” In a New Year’s Eve message on X, Brockman noted that “this year, my wife Anna and I have begun to engage politically, including via political donations, to reflect support for policies that promote American innovation and foster constructive dialogue between the government and the tech industry.” He remarked, “It has been rewarding to observe the president’s and his administration’s readiness to directly engage with the AI community.”
