OpenAI's Sam Altman Flip Flops On Trump After $500 Billion Stargate AI Project, Says 'I Wish I Had Done More Of My Own Thinking'

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has publicly expressed his support for President Donald Trump. This revelation comes years after he praised LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman for stopping his re-election.

What Happened: Altman disclosed that his perspective on President Trump has evolved. He mentioned that observing the president more closely has shifted his views. Altman admitted to previously falling into what he termed the “npc trap,” suggesting a lack of personal critical thinking.

He added that although he does not agree with Trump on every issue, Altman believes the president will have a positive impact on the country. This shift in Altman’s stance is part of a larger trend where tech leaders are increasingly engaging with political figures.

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!
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 23, 2025

His comments arise amidst ongoing discussions about technology’s role in shaping public policy and governance.

Also See: Satya Nadella Stands Firm After Elon Musk Questions Stargate’s $100 Billion Funding Potential: ‘All I Know Is, I’m Good For My $80 Billion’

"Very few people realize just how much @reidhoffman 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!"

Very few people realize just how much @reidhoffman 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!
— Sam Altman (@sama) December 15, 2021

Why It Matters: Altman’s comments come at a time when political dynamics in the tech industry are under scrutiny. In December, Altman expressed confidence that Elon Musk would not misuse his political influence, despite Musk’s ties with President Trump.

This was during a period when Altman acknowledged Musk’s xAI as a significant competitor to OpenAI.

Project Stargate was announced earlier this week – it is a $500 billion AI infrastructure venture involving OpenAI, SoftBank Group SFTBY, and Oracle Corp. ORCL. This initiative aims to establish the U.S. as a leader in AI technology.

However, Musk expressed skepticism about the project’s funding, suggesting that the lead investor, SoftBank, had secured less than $10 billion. Despite this, the venture has sparked interest in AI stocks, including NVIDIA and Oracle.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Consumer Tech coverage by following this link.

Read Next: