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From Parliament to AI: Ex-PM Rishi Sunak Advises Tech Giants Microsoft & Anthropic

Published 10 hours ago2 minute read
David Isong
David Isong
From Parliament to AI: Ex-PM Rishi Sunak Advises Tech Giants Microsoft & Anthropic

Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced his new roles as a senior adviser to two prominent global tech entities: US tech giant Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, and artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. Sunak shared this development in a LinkedIn post, expressing his delight to be working with firms he considers world-leading. He highlighted Microsoft's long-standing contribution to productivity improvements and described Anthropic as one of the most exciting AI frontier labs currently operating.

In his advisory capacity, Sunak's responsibilities will be distinctly focused on global strategic matters rather than UK-specific policy. For Anthropic, he will provide guidance on strategy, macroeconomic trends, and geopolitical developments. Similarly, at Microsoft, his role involves offering strategic perspectives on macroeconomic and geopolitical landscapes. He is also slated to speak at the annual Microsoft Summit. It is explicitly stated that Sunak is prohibited from initiating contact with UK government officials on behalf of Anthropic, and a report from ACOBA (Advisory Committee on Business Appointments) advised him, as an elected parliamentarian, against lobbying the government for Microsoft.

Both roles at Microsoft and Anthropic are paid positions, though the exact remuneration has not been publicly disclosed. However, Rishi Sunak has committed to donating all proceeds from these new advisory roles to charity. Specifically, the funds will go to The Richmond Project, a charitable initiative he co-founded with Akshata Murty. This charity is dedicated to building confidence with everyday numbers across the United Kingdom.

These corporate engagements are not Rishi Sunak's first foray into the private sector. Prior to his political career, he worked at Goldman Sachs as an analyst from 2001 to 2004. He later joined the hedge fund management firm The Children's Investment Fund Management (TCI), where he became a partner in September 2006. In 2009, he co-founded Theleme Partners, another hedge fund firm, with former colleagues in California. Furthermore, Sunak served as a director at Catamaran Ventures, an investment firm owned by his father-in-law, NR Narayana Murthy. He also briefly rejoined Goldman Sachs in July after stepping down as Prime Minister, though the LinkedIn post mentions the Microsoft and Anthropic roles as his 'latest' endeavors.

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