OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been appointed as a co-chair of the transition team for San Francisco’s newly elected mayor, Daniel Lurie.
What Happened: Altman, a significant contributor to Democratic campaigns, will advise Lurie on key issues such as drug use and homelessness in the city.
The other co-chairs of the team include local government and nonprofit alumni, Ned Segal, Lurie’s campaign co-chair, and Twitter’s former CFO, reported Business Insider.
Altman expressed his excitement to assist the city where OpenAI was founded, as it embarks on a new chapter with Mayor-elect Lurie.
“I’m excited to help the city I love, and where OpenAI was started, as it begins its next chapter with Mayor-elect Lurie stepping into his new role,” the OpenAI CEO stated.
San Francisco’s campaign finance database shows that Altman contributed $500 to current Mayor London Breed’s campaign in 2018, the report noted.
Lurie, who positioned himself as a moderate Democrat and a “political outsider,” won the election against incumbent mayor London Breed.
He received substantial support from the Silicon Valley tech community, including six-figure donations from WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum and investors Jonathan Gans and Oleg Nodelman.
Lurie said, “I look forward to leaning on them in the days to come,” to tackle key challenges, including public safety, the behavioral health crisis, housing, and streamlining bureaucracy to make City Hall work for everyone.
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Why It Matters: Altman is not the only tech leader who has approached politics this year with a more hands-on approach.
Earlier this month, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was appointed to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), alongside pharma entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
The department will assist the administration with budget reductions and restructuring efforts.
Last month, Microsoft Corporation MSFT backed OpenAI’s valuation soared to $157 billion following a funding round. Microsoft has invested almost $14 billion in OpenAI since 2019.
Prior to that, it was reported that OpenAI, which started as a nonprofit in 2015, could transition to a for-profit model.
The new structure could grant Altman 7% equity in the company, potentially worth $10.5 billion if the company’s valuation goes as high as $150 billion.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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