OpenAI's Greg Brockman emerges as major Trump mega-donor with $25 million contribution

OpenAI's president is a Trump mega-donor

OpenAI's co-founder and longtime president, Greg Brockman, didn't just make a run-of-the-mill donation to the main pro-Trump super PAC -- together, he and his wife Anna's September 2025 donations equaled the largest of them all, totaling $25 million to "MAGA Inc.," per a recent filing. The Brockmans' donations made up nearly one-fourth of the six-month fundraising cycle. It's the latest in a string of examples of tech executives cozying up to President Trump's administration, happening as the administration pushes to aggressively back the AI industry and defang state-level regulations that companies like OpenAI have largely opposed. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brockman's multimillion-dollar donation isn't the only example of him spending big, under his own name, on lobbying efforts that have their sights set on dismantling potential AI industry regulation. The pro-AI super PAC "Leading the Future," of which Brockman is a significant backer, has bought ads targeting New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores -- a cosponsor of New York's RAISE Act, which was watered down at the last minute after coordinated lobbying efforts. Though news of the Brockmans' donations first broke earlier this month, it's seen a resurgence in online discussion after the recent death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where federal officers have fatally shot two people during an anti-immigrant crackdown. Tech workers from across the industry, including multiple employees at OpenAI, have signed a letter calling for their CEOs to cancel all contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and publicly condemn the department's actions. "When Trump threatened to send the national guard to San Francisco in October, tech industry leaders called the White House," the petition's website states. "It worked: Trump backed down. Today we're calling on our CEOs to pick up the phone again." However, since Trump's inauguration, tech leader after tech leader has donated to his inauguration fund, flocked to Mar-a-Lago to meet with him, or attended White House dinners by his side. In return, they've gotten an administration eager to roll back consumer protections and tech regulation. Trump's AI Action Plan resurrected a failed Republican attempt to bar states from passing AI regulations, to tech leaders' delight. The new provision states that "AI is far too important to smother in bureaucracy at this early stage" and that the government "should not allow AI-related Federal funding to be directed toward states with burdensome AI regulations that waste these funds," though it should also "not interfere with states' rights to pass prudent laws that are not unduly restrictive to innovation." Targets of the moratorium include SB 53, the landmark AI transparency bill California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September despite many tech companies lobbying against it, including OpenAI. In 2019, Brockman co-wrote a blog post about how hard it is to "change powerful systems ... once they've been deployed," and that it's "important to address AGI's safety and policy risks before it is created." Six years later, his posts have shifted in tone, highlighting the importance of "approach[ing] emerging technology with a growth-focused mindset." In a New Year's Eve post on X, Brockman wrote that "this year, my wife Anna and I started getting involved politically, including through political contributions, reflecting support for policies that advance American innovation and constructive dialogue between government and the technology sector." He added that "it's been great to see the president's and his administration's willingness to engage directly with the AI community."

OpenAI's Greg Brockman is a MAGA donor; here is how much he donated to the Trump campaign

The pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc received a $25 million donation from the OpenAI co-founder and president, and his wife Anna. This underscores the growing political engagement by tech leaders as the administration pushes a pro-AI, anti-regulation agenda. OpenAI cofounder and president Greg Brockman is reportedly one of the major donors to US President Donald Trump's MAGA Inc. A recent report by The Verge revealed that Brockman and his wife Anna made a combined donation of $25 million in September 2025 to the pro-Trump super political action committee (PAC), Make America Great Again (MAGA) Inc. This was the largest contribution in the six-month fundraising cycle. Founded in September 2022, MAGA Inc is an independent expenditure-only super PAC, which can raise and spend unlimited funds on campaign advertising but cannot coordinate with candidates or donate directly to campaigns or political parties. Brockman and his family's contribution has drawn attention in discussions about tech executives aligning with President Trump's administration, especially as the latter promotes pro-AI industry policies and makes efforts to limit state-level AI regulation. According to the report, he has also financially supported the pro-AI super PAC "Leading the Future," which has run ads against a New York State Assembly member, Alex Bores, who was involved with other AI regulations in the past. This follows the Trump administration pushing American tech companies to invest in the US to avoid stricter regulatory pressures. The report, without mentioning more names, points out that several other tech leaders have donated to Trump's inauguration fund, attended events with him, and met with him and White House officials to maintain cordial relations with the administration. Without naming others, the report states that several tech leaders have contributed to Trump's inauguration fund, attended events with him, and met with him and White House officials to maintain cordial relations with the government. Meanwhile, the Trump AI Action Plan includes language aimed at limiting state AI rules that are considered burdensome by the tech industry, with specific reference to California's AI transparency law, which many tech companies opposed.