OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has resisted a Senate investigation into his $1 million donation to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund.
Mr. Altman, in a post on X, questioned the investigation, pointing out that his previous donations to Democratic candidates, including Elizabeth Warren and outgoing President Joe Biden, had never received the same attention. He commented, “The funny thing is they never sent me one of these to contribute to the Democrats.”
The funny thing is that they never sent me one of these to contribute to the democrats… pic.twitter.com/xjpanXSb5D
– Sam Altman (@sama) 17 January 2025
Mr Altman, who previously announced the donation in December, clarified his reasoning in a Fox News interview, saying he was “eager to support” Donald Trump’s efforts to lead the country into the future of artificial intelligence. . However, Democratic senators Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet argued that Sam Altman’s donation, along with contributions from other tech giants, was aimed at reducing scrutiny and limiting regulation, particularly the protection of OpenAI from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC. ) and is facing investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. (SEC).
The letter, dated January 17, references a pattern of million-dollar donations from tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Uber. The senators noted that these companies, including OpenAI, were facing ongoing federal investigations for antitrust and consumer protection violations. He expressed concern that such donations might be intended to influence Mr. Trump’s policies in favor of Big Tech, potentially leading to future regulatory actions.
The investigation also raised questions about the influence of corporate money on the Trump administration and potential corruption risks. Senators Warren and Bennet requested Mr. Altman to answer a series of questions, including details of how and when OpenAI decided to contribute to the inaugural fund by January 31.
Mr Altman said in a follow-up post that the donation was a “personal one” and that OpenAI, the company he leads, was not involved in the decision. He wrote, “As you say, this was a personal contribution; I am confused by the questions because my company did not make any decisions.”
As you say, it was an individual contribution; I am confused about the questions because my company did not take any decision.
– Sam Altman (@sama) 17 January 2025
Other tech leaders who have endorsed Donald Trump include Tesla’s Elon Musk, Palantir’s Joe Lonsdale, venture capitalist David Sachs, Ben and Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz, and Gemini’s Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
