Sam Altman Chats Back to Sen. Warren
He doesn’t sound intimidated, after giving to Trump’s inaugural.
By The Editorial Board, WSJ
Jan. 20, 2025 5:44 pm ET
Democrats are used to bullying corporations, but maybe the tactic is losing potency. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet sent a letter last week to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to bludgeon him for contributing to President Trump’s inauguration fund. Mr. Altman responded by posting it online for all to see.
“Big Tech companies have come under increased scrutiny from federal regulators,” the Senators wrote. “We are concerned that your company and other Big Tech donors are using your massive contributions to the inaugural fund to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration.” Mr. Altman was intending “to personally donate $1 million,” according to the letter.
“Funny, they never sent me one of these for contributing to democrats,” Mr. Altman commented on X. The donation described by Ms. Warren and Mr. Bennet “was a personal contribution as you state,” he added, so he was “confused about the questions given that my company did not make a decision.” Both points hit home, and they show what the Senators are really doing here.
Kamala Harris’s political team raised more than $1 billion. President Biden’s inaugural in 2020 got about $62 million, and that donor club included companies such as Pfizer, Boeing and Uber, as well as the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, according to Reuters. We can’t recall Democrats taking umbrage.
The letter from Ms. Warren and Mr. Bennet says Mr. Altman has “a clear and direct interest in obtaining favors from the incoming administration,” since his company is “the subject of ongoing federal investigations and regulatory actions.” Have they considered that a punitive regulatory environment might be what’s driving tech CEOs to Mr. Trump?
Companies that reply to browbeating letters by apologetically pledging to do more on progressive priorities encourage the coercive tactic. Kudos to Mr. Altman for calling it out.
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