Sam Altman Says He’s Changed His Mind on Donald Trump
6 hours ago
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Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has announced a shift in his previously critical perspective on President Donald Trump.
Newsweek has contacted OpenAI and the White House for comment via email.
A composite image of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, left, and President Donald Trump, right, at the 60th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20. A composite image of OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, left, and President Donald Trump, right, at the 60th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., on January 20. Al Drago and Evan Vucci/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Why It Matters
Altman’s announcement came one day after Trump named OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, as a partner in Stargate, a new multicompany project designed to maintain the U.S. as the global leader in artificial intelligence.
Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with Elon Musk, who has become a staunch Trump ally, and several others. However, a feud has since emerged between the tech entrepreneurs, and Musk has taken to X, formerly Twitter, to criticize Stargate and accuse Altman of putting profits ahead of public interest.
What To Know
On Wednesday, Altman wrote on X: “Watching @potus more carefully recently has really changed my perspective on him (i wish i had done more of my own thinking and definitely fell in the npc trap). i’m not going to agree with him on everything, but i think he will be incredible for the country in many ways!”
The announcement marked a significant shift from the CEO’s previous comments about Trump. In June 2016, as Trump campaigned for the presidency, Altman wrote a scathing blog post comparing the Republican candidate’s rhetoric to that of 1930s Germany, describing him as “irresponsible in the way dictators are.”
In December 2021, Altman thanked LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman in a tweet for all he “did and spent to stop Trump from getting re-elected.”
“It seems reasonably likely to me that Trump would still be in office without his efforts. Thank you, Reid!” Altman wrote.
A consistent Democratic donor, Altman has given more than $1 million to local and national Democratic candidates across the country since 2008.
However, since Trump’s electoral victory in November, Altman has fallen in with Silicon Valley’s most powerful chief executives in paying tribute to the new president.
In December, Altman, Google, Meta, Amazon and Apple each pledged $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Microsoft also matched that amount, doubling its contribution to Trump’s 2017 inauguration. On Monday, several billionaire tech titans received priority seats at Trump’s second inaugural address.
In announcing Stargate—which also involves SoftBank Group, Oracle Corp. and MGX and is backed by a $500 billion investment over four years—Oracle Chair Larry Ellison said construction on the initiative’s first data centers had already begun in Texas.
Since the announcement, Musk, who was Trump’s biggest donor in his 2024 presidential campaign and is the president’s closest ally in Silicon Valley, has publicly criticized Stargate and Altman’s role in it.
Musk called Altman a “swindler” on X and accused SoftBank of overstating its financial commitment to the project. Altman responded on X by calling Musk’s claims “wrong” and inviting him to visit a Stargate site.
What People Are Saying
Trump said in a news conference on Tuesday: “Together these world-leading technology giants are announcing the formation of Stargate—so put that name down in your books because I think you’re going to hear a lot about it in the future—a new American company that will invest $500 billion, at least, in AI infrastructure in the United States and very quickly, moving very rapidly, creating over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately. This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America’s potential under a new president.”
What Happens Next
As Stargate progresses, tensions between Altman and Musk could affect the program’s development. Meanwhile, Altman’s comments may signal closer collaboration between OpenAI and the Trump administration in the months to come.
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