OpenAI co-founder and president Greg Brockman just became one of the biggest political spenders in tech. He and his wife Anna contributed $25 million to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. in September 2025, making them the largest donors in that fundraising cycle, according to FEC filings. The donation, which represents nearly a quarter of the PAC's six-month haul, comes as the Trump administration moves aggressively to block state-level AI regulations that companies like OpenAI have fought against for years.
OpenAI president Greg Brockman didn't just dip his toe into political spending. He cannonballed in. Together with his wife Anna, Brockman dropped $25 million on MAGA Inc., the main pro-Trump super PAC, in September 2025. The contribution, revealed in a recent FEC filing, made the Brockmans the biggest donors of the six-month cycle, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the PAC's total haul.
The timing is striking. Since Trump's inauguration, tech executives have been making a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago, attending White House dinners, and writing checks to the inauguration fund. But Brockman's $25 million bet stands out, even in an industry known for hedging its political bets. It's part of a calculated strategy as the administration rolls out policies that could reshape how AI companies operate.
The payoff came fast. Trump's AI Action Plan, unveiled shortly after he took office, resurrects a failed Republican push to block states from regulating AI. The plan declares that "AI is far too important to smother in bureaucracy at this early stage" and threatens to withhold federal funding from states with "burdensome AI regulations." Translation: California's SB 53, the landmark AI transparency law that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September, is now in the crosshairs.
OpenAI lobbied hard against SB 53, and Brockman's political spending extends beyond the Trump donation. He's a significant backer of Leading the Future, a pro-AI super PAC that's been buying ads to target New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores, a cosponsor of the RAISE Act. That bill, which aimed to create AI guardrails in New York, was watered down after coordinated lobbying efforts.
Brockman frames his political involvement as supporting "policies that advance American innovation and constructive dialogue between government and the technology sector," according to a New Year's Eve post on X. He wrote that "it's been great to see the president's and his administration's willingness to engage directly with the AI community."
But the strategy is drawing backlash from within. Tech workers across the industry, including multiple OpenAI employees, have signed a letter calling on their CEOs to cancel contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and condemn the administration's immigration crackdown. The petition gained traction after the recent death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, where federal officers have fatally shot two people during enforcement operations.
The contrast with Brockman's earlier writings is stark. In 2019, he co-wrote a blog post warning about how hard it is to "change powerful systems once they've been deployed" and arguing that "it's important to address AGI's safety and policy risks before it is created." Six years later, his public statements emphasize the importance of approaching "emerging technology with a growth-focused mindset."
The shift reflects a broader calculation in Silicon Valley. Tech leaders have watched as regulatory threats pile up at the state level, from California to New York to Colorado. Rather than fight a 50-state battle, they're betting on federal preemption. And they're willing to spend big to make it happen.
OpenAI didn't respond to requests for comment about Brockman's donation or the company's regulatory strategy. But the silence speaks volumes. The company that once positioned itself as a safety-focused counterweight to Big Tech is now playing the same political game as everyone else.
The $25 million question is whether this strategy works. Trump's AI Action Plan signals enthusiasm for blocking state regulations, but implementation remains murky. The plan says the government "should not interfere with states' rights to pass prudent laws that are not unduly restrictive to innovation," leaving plenty of room for interpretation and legal challenges.
Meanwhile, the political winds could shift. Democrats in Congress are already pushing back on the administration's deregulatory agenda, and state attorneys general are preparing legal challenges. Brockman's bet on Trump may deliver short-term wins, but it's tying OpenAI to an administration that's deeply polarizing, even among the tech workers who build AI systems.
For now, though, the message from Silicon Valley is clear: when it comes to AI regulation, the industry isn't just lobbying. It's going all in.
Brockman's $25 million donation isn't just a political contribution - it's a signal of how high the stakes have become in the AI regulation fight. As state legislatures push for transparency and safety requirements, companies like OpenAI are betting that federal intervention can short-circuit those efforts. The strategy may deliver near-term wins, but it's also creating internal tensions and tying the company's fortunes to a volatile political landscape. For an industry that once claimed to prioritize safety over speed, the willingness to spend this much on deregulation reveals where the real priorities lie.
