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 after coordinated lobbying efforts.
