The day after President Donald Trump returned to workplace, Sam Altman, the CEO of tech big OpenAI, stood behind the presidential seal on the White Home and praised the newly sworn-in president for the $500 billion “Stargate” initiative he was becoming a member of to construct a synthetic intelligence infrastructure in the US.
Altman mentioned it would not have been potential with out Trump.
“For AGI [artificial general intelligence] to get constructed right here, to create tons of of hundreds of jobs, to create a brand new business centered right here, we would not have the ability to do that with out you, Mr. President, and I am thrilled that we get to,” Altman mentioned as he and different business leaders smiled for images within the Roosevelt Room.
The chummy announcement represented a stark reversal for Altman, who — within the early days of Trump’s first time period — emerged as one in all Silicon Valley’s first and most vocal critics of the president.
From 2016 by means of 2022, Altman repeatedly warned about what he noticed as the hazards posed by Trump’s management and his insurance policies. Throughout the 2016 marketing campaign, he in contrast Trump to Hitler in Thirties Germany, and he known as on different tech corporations to face in opposition to Trump within the early days of the brand new administration. He donated tons of of hundreds to Democratic causes and candidates, together with $200,000 to assist reelect President Joe Biden in 2024.
After Trump introduced the “Stargate” deal, the OpenAI CEO appeared to deal with his reversal in a publish on X, writing that “watching [Trump] extra fastidiously lately has actually modified my perspective on him,” and including, “I am not going to agree with him on every part, however I believe he might be unbelievable for the nation in some ways!”
Different tech leaders have shifted their stance on Trump in recent times, much more so since his 2024 election win.
Earlier this month, Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta introduced the finish of its fact-checking program and eased restrictions on discussions about subjects resembling immigration and gender id, following longstanding criticism from President Trump and his allies.
‘An unprecedented risk’
Altman’s public opposition to Trump started throughout the 2016 presidential marketing campaign when, in October of that 12 months, Altman made his first-ever presidential endorsement by backing Hillary Clinton.
“I’m endorsing Hillary Clinton for president. I’ve by no means endorsed a presidential candidate earlier than, however I am making an exception this 12 months, as a result of this election is phenomenal,” Altman wrote in a weblog publish on Oct. 16, 2016, titled “The 2016 Election.”
“Donald Trump represents an unprecedented risk to America, and voting for Hillary is one of the simplest ways to defend our nation in opposition to it,” Altman wrote.
Months earlier, within the warmth of the presidential marketing campaign, Altman had revealed a scathing critique of Trump, writing, “He’s irresponsible in the best way dictators are.”
President Donald Trump, from left, speaks as Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group CEO, Larry Ellison, chairman of Oracle Company and chief expertise officer, and Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO hear within the Roosevelt Room on the White Home, on Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
“To anybody aware of the historical past of Germany within the Thirties, it is chilling to observe Trump in motion,” Altman wrote in June 2016. “Although I do know intellectually it is simple in exhausting financial occasions to rile folks up with a hatred of outsiders, it is nonetheless stunning to observe this occur proper in entrance of us.”
“Hitler taught us in regards to the Large Lie — the lie so huge, and so typically repeated, that folks find yourself believing it,” Altman wrote. “Trump’s Large Lie is hiding in plain sight. His Large Lie is that he will Make America Nice by holding us protected from outsiders.”
After Trump’s victory, Altman known as on his fellow tech leaders to “take a stand” in opposition to the brand new Trump administration within the wake of Trump’s govt order referred to as the so-called Muslim ban, which Trump known as “a complete and full shutdown of Muslims getting into the US.”
Altman known as the 2017 order “a breach of America’s contract with all of the immigrants within the nation.” The order spurred nationwide protests and authorized challenges earlier than being modified after which overturned by President Biden in 2021.
He urged the tech business to take motion, writing on his private weblog, “The tech group is highly effective. Giant tech corporations particularly have huge energy and are held in excessive regard. We have to hear from the CEOs clearly and unequivocally.”
He added that staff at tech corporations “ought to push their corporations to determine what actions they will take.”
“It could be notably embarrassing for us to fall for this — we’re a nation of immigrants, and we all know that immigrants constructed this nation (and Trump, after all, is the grandson of immigrants and married to an immigrant),” Altman wrote.
Altman himself took motion by launching a web site known as “Monitor Trump,” which monitored Trump’s achievement of his 2016 marketing campaign guarantees over his first 100 days in workplace. He shared the web site in a February 2017 tweet through which he mentioned, “For all of the noise, Trump hasn’t truly achieved very a lot but.”
‘I believe Trump is horrible’
Altman’s public criticism continued all through Trump’s first presidency. In a March 2017 tweet, Altman posted, “I believe Trump is horrible and few issues would make me happier than him not being president.”
“In case you elect a actuality TV star as President, you’ll be able to’t be shocked while you get a actuality TV present,” Altman wrote in July 2017.
At a “Talks with Google” occasion in October 2017, Altman defended his outspoken criticism of Trump. Acknowledging that “should you “piss off the president, he would possibly do unhealthy issues to you,” Altman nonetheless mentioned that “when the way forward for the republic is in danger, the responsibility to the nation and our values transcends the responsibility to your explicit firm and your inventory value.”
“I believe I began that a bit of bit sooner than different folks, however at this level I’m in actually good firm,” Altman added.
Later, within the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss, Altman praised LinkedIn chairman and Democratic supporter Reid Hoffman, writing on Twitter, “Only a few folks notice simply how a lot @reidhoffman did and spent to cease Trump from getting re-elected — it appears fairly prone to me that Trump would nonetheless be in workplace with out his efforts. Thanks, Reid!”
Democratic donations
Lately, Altman has himself contributed tons of of hundreds of {dollars} to Democratic candidates and causes, together with giving $200,000 in 2023 to the Biden Victory Fund, the joint fundraising committee that sought to reelect Joe Biden in 2024, in accordance with federal election fee information reviewed by ABC Information.
Early within the 2020 election cycle, he contributed to a slew of Democratic main presidential contenders, together with to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, then-Sen. Kamala Harris and Andrew Yang, then later gave $100,000 to the Biden Victory Fund within the last weeks of the 2020 marketing campaign.
He additionally gave $100,000 every to the pro-Democratic tremendous PACs American Bridge PAC and Senate Majority PAC.
He wasn’t an energetic political contributor throughout the 2016 election cycle, however gave a complete of $1,500 to the Obama marketing campaign in 2008 and 2012.
Though Altman has virtually solely donated to Democrats, he has additionally donated to a handful of Republicans, together with California Reps. Darrell Issa and Jay Obernolte, Rep. John Curtis of Utah, and Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Then, after Trump was reelected this previous November, Altman was among the many first company executives to publicly announce their donation to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee, as tech corporations together with Meta and Amazon lined as much as financially assist Trump’s inauguration.
An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed to ABC Information that Altman donated $1 million to the inaugural committee in December.
Final Monday, Altman was among the many choose variety of tech executives noticed attending Trump’s swearing-in ceremony contained in the Capitol rotunda.
“President Trump will lead our nation into the age of AI, and I’m wanting to assist his efforts to make sure America stays forward,” Altman wrote in a press release to ABC Information on the time about his inauguration contribution.