OpenAI’s Sam Altman to donate $1mn to Donald Trump’s inauguration fund
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman will contribute $1 million of his own money to Donald Trump’s inaugural fund, the company confirmed on Friday. This donation marks the latest show of support from Silicon Valley and Big Tech for the president-elect.
The announcement follows similar $1 million contributions from Amazon and Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Additionally, Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, confirmed its $1 million donation, as initially reported by Bloomberg.
After Trump’s election victory in November, tech companies have been quick to offer congratulations, aiming to build rapport with the incoming Republican administration. This warming relationship marks a departure from 2016, when Trump received a far cooler reception from Silicon Valley. Back then, few tech figures, such as Peter Thiel, openly backed Trump, while much of the industry remained firmly aligned with Democratic candidates. Altman, in particular, reacted to Trump’s first victory by tweeting: “This feels like the worst thing to happen in my life.”
However, Trump has since strengthened his ties to the tech sector, frequently visiting San Francisco for fundraisers and making appearances on high-profile podcasts like Joe Rogan’s show and the All-In podcast, hosted by four Silicon Valley investors. Elon Musk, one of Trump’s key advisors, has emerged as a crucial link between Washington and the tech community. Several other prominent tech figures have also been enlisted for roles in the administration or as informal advisors.
Last week, venture capitalist David Sacks, an All-In host, was named Trump’s AI and cryptocurrency czar. Meanwhile, investor Marc Andreessen has been advising on appointments to a newly created “department of government efficiency,” which Musk will co-lead alongside entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Altman’s involvement with the Trump administration is complicated by his ongoing tensions with Musk. Musk, a former OpenAI investor and co-founder, is suing the company over its decision to transition to a for-profit public benefit corporation. Musk has accused OpenAI of attempting to dominate the generative AI market and has launched his own competing AI venture, xAI.
Speaking at a Reuters event this week, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar expressed confidence that Musk, despite being a competitor, would “prioritize the national interest and compete fairly.”
On Friday, OpenAI released a blog post addressing Musk’s legal claims, alleging that in 2017, while still co-chair at OpenAI, Musk had proposed a for-profit structure with himself at the helm. The post stated: “When he didn’t get majority equity and full control, he walked away and predicted our failure. Now, as OpenAI leads AI research and Elon heads a rival AI company, he’s seeking court intervention to stop our progress.”
Musk has not responded to requests for comment.