OpenAI\u2019s president and cofounder Greg Brockman doesn\u2019t consider himself political, which is surprising, because he was one of President Trump\u2019s biggest individual donors of 2025.<\/p>\n
Greg and his wife, Anna Brockman, gave $25 million to MAGA Inc\u2014a super PAC that supports President Trump\u2014in September of last year. The pair also gave $25 million<\/a> to a bipartisan AI super PAC, Leading the Future<\/a>, which says it plans to oppose politicians that jeopardize Americans\u2019 \u201cability to benefit from AI.\u201d The Brockmans have pledged to give an additional $25 million to Leading the Future in 2026, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.<\/p>\n According to Brockman, these political donations are in service of OpenAI\u2019s founding mission: to develop highly capable AI systems and distribute the benefits to all of humanity.<\/p>\n \u201cThis mission, in my mind, is bigger than companies, bigger than corporate structures,\u201d he says in an interview with WIRED. \u201cWe are embarking on a journey to develop this technology that’s going to be the most impactful thing humanity has ever created. Getting that right and making that benefit everyone, that’s the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Brockman’s emergence as a major political donor marks a sharp departure for a tech leader who, until recently, had no significant history of political spending. The largest donation Brockman gave previously was a $5,400 gift to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n Brockman says he’s ramping up his political spending in part because public opinion has turned against AI. A recent survey<\/a> from the Pew Research Center suggests Americans are \u201cmore concerned than excited about the increased use of AI in daily life.\u201d To Brockman, this has made supporting pro-AI politicians increasingly critical.<\/p>\n \u201cThere’s a small number of politicians who I think\u2014despite realizing it’s not the most popular thing\u2014are really putting themselves out there to say, actually, we think [AI] is important for the country,\u201d he says. \u201cI think supporting them is really important. I believe that this technology is something that’s important for local communities. I think it’s important for America. I think it’s important for the world. And anything I can do to support this technology benefiting everyone is a thing that I will do. In this sense, maybe supporting the team is bigger than the people that I happen to be employed with. It’s really team humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite his stated goal, Brockman\u2019s donations could be contributing to the negative sentiment some people have toward AI. QuitGPT<\/a>, a movement calling on people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions over Brockman\u2019s donation to Trump, is gaining traction, with more than 700,000 people sharing the petition online or signing its pledge. On Sunday, actor Mark Ruffalo announced<\/a> on Instagram he was joining the movement.<\/p>\n His donations have also caused some consternation inside OpenAI. While many employees understand that the company needs to work with government officials to develop cutting-edge technology, there\u2019s a feeling that Brockman is doing more than is strictly necessary to advance OpenAI\u2019s business. “I personally think Greg’s political donations probably go beyond that,” says one OpenAI researcher who spoke on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there’s no decision ever that everyone at OpenAI agrees with,\u201d Brockman says when I ask what his team thinks about the donations. \u201cEven when we were 10 people. We\u2019ve always been a truth-seeking culture. We have this scientific mission of discovery, and reality kind of doesn’t care for your own opinion. It cares about what’s true.\u201d<\/p>\n OpenAI maintains that the Brockmans\u2019 donations are strictly personal, and not a reflection of the company\u2019s politics. \u201cThe Brockmans’ donation reflects their focus on AI as a defining issue for the country and the world during this presidency,\u201d a company spokesperson said in a statement. \u201cThey bring a unique perspective on the technology and are engaged specifically on this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n