Ex Prime Minister takes advisory roles with Microsoft and Anthropic
Former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has been appointed as a senior adviser to both Microsoft and artificial intelligence start-up Anthropic, cementing his growing ties to Silicon Valley’s technology scene.
Sunak, who continues to serve as an MP, previously worked with both companies during his time in Downing Street, including hosting the UK’s first AI Safety Summit in 2023. Announcing the move, he said he wanted to “help these companies ensure that this shift delivers the improvements in all of our lives that it can”.
Twin roles raise eyebrows
The dual appointments place Sunak in a rare position advising two rival players in the race to dominate the next generation of AI. Microsoft has invested heavily in OpenAI, Anthropic’s biggest competitor, while Anthropic has positioned itself as a safer and more transparent alternative in the global AI race.
Both companies told the UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) that Sunak’s work would be carefully separated from any lobbying activity involving the UK government.
Under the terms of the appointments, Sunak’s pay will be donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he founded with his wife, Akshata Murty. Murty holds shares in the Indian technology giant Infosys, founded by her father.
Industry seeks political insight
Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, said Sunak “was among the first global leaders to recognise AI’s transformative potential”. The company added that his leadership in creating the AI Safety Institute and convening the first AI Safety Summit would bring “valuable strategic perspective”.
The start-up has recruited several former UK and US government figures, including Sunak’s former chief of staff Liam Booth-Smith and two senior Biden-era officials, Tarun Chhabra and Elizabeth Kelly.
At Microsoft, Sunak will advise on global trends affecting technology and geopolitics, and is expected to appear at the company’s annual summit. Microsoft said it “looks forward to working with” the former prime minister and valued the “expertise and insights” of its external advisers.
Political and financial crossover
Sunak’s move follows a growing trend of senior British politicians transitioning into senior roles at major tech companies. Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg took a similar path when he joined Meta as its head of global affairs.
Sunak already holds an advisory position with Goldman Sachs, the US investment bank where he began his career before entering politics. His latest roles underline the increasingly blurred lines between technology, finance, and politics – and the global influence that accompanies them.
