OpenAI’s President Gave Millions to Trump. He Says It’s for Humanity
OpenAI's president and co-founder Greg Brockman doesn't consider himself political, which is surprising since he was one of President Trump's 2025 biggest individual donors.
Greg and his wife, Anna Brockman, gave $25 million to MAGA Inc — a super PAC supporting President Trump — in September of last year. The couple also gave $25 million to a bipartisan AI super PAC, Leading the Futurewhich says it plans to oppose politicians who jeopardize Americans' “ability to benefit from AI.” 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.
According to Brockman, these political donations serve OpenAI's founding mission: to develop highly capable AI systems and spread the benefits to all of humanity.
“This mission, in my mind, is bigger than companies, bigger than corporate structures,” he says in an interview with WIRED. “We're embarking on a journey to develop this technology that will be the most impactful thing humanity has ever created. Getting that right and everyone benefiting, that's the most important thing.”
Brockman's rise 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 previously gave was a $5,400 gift to Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
Brockman says he is increasing his political spending in part because public opinion has turned against AI. A recent survey from the Pew Research Center suggests that Americans are “more worried than excited about the increased use of AI in everyday life.” For Brockman, this has made supporting pro-AI politicians increasingly critical.
“There's a small number of politicians who I think – despite realizing it's not the most popular thing – are really putting themselves out there to say, actually, we think [AI] is important for the country,” he says. “I think that supporting them is really important. I believe this technology is something that is important to global communities. I think it's important for America. I think it is important for the world. And anything I can do to support this technology that benefits everyone is something I will do. In this sense, supporting the team is perhaps greater than the people I happen to be with. It's really team humanity. “
Despite its stated purpose, Brockman's donations may contribute to the negative sentiment some people have toward AI. QuitGPTa movement urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions over Brockman's donation to Trump is gaining traction, with more than 700,000 people sharing the petition online or signing their pledge. On Sunday, actor Mark Ruffalo announced on Instagram he joined the movement.
His donations have also caused some consternation within OpenAI. While many employees understand that the company needs to work with government officials to develop cutting-edge technology, there is a sense that Brockman is doing more than is strictly necessary to promote OpenAI's business. “I personally think Greg's political donations probably go further,” said one OpenAI researcher who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“I don't think there's ever a decision that everyone at OpenAI agrees on,” Brockman says when I ask what his team thinks about the donations. “Even when we were 10 people. We have 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 is true.”
OpenAI maintains that the Brockmans' donations are strictly personal, and not a reflection of the company's politics. “Brockmans' donation reflects their focus on AI as a defining issue for the country and the world during this presidency,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “They bring a unique perspective to the technology and are specifically engaged with this problem.”
