Why Rishi Sunak Joined Microsoft & Anthropic as an Advisor

Former government leaders are increasingly moving into technology sector roles as AI companies seek policy expertise. 

Rishi Sunak is the latest MP to join this trend, accepting paid advisory positions at both Microsoft and Anthropic.

The former UK prime minister, who left office in July 2024, will provide strategic advice to both companies while continuing to serve as Member of Parliament for Richmond and Northallerton. 

Why Microsoft is seeking geopolitical insights

The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments imposes conditions on both roles, including a prohibition on lobbying ministers on behalf of either company for two years.

The appointments mark Sunak's entry into the technology sector following his election defeat. 

He previously worked at Goldman Sachs between 2001 and 2004 and has taken a separate advisory role there as well.

At Microsoft, Sunak will provide what the watchdog describes as “high-level strategic perspectives” on geopolitical trends. 

The committee notes that Microsoft maintains substantial investments in the UK, raising concerns about potential access and influence within government circles.

The former prime minister has been told he must not lobby ministers on behalf of the companies by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), an independent watchdog.

The watchdog’s letter acknowledges that time elapsed since Rishi left office has diminished the value of any privileged information he might possess – it also maintains standard restrictions preventing former ministers from advising on UK contract bids or engaging in government lobbying during the two-year period.

His position at Anthropic will function as what he described to the committee as “akin to operating as an internal think tank”.

The company, founded by former OpenAI executives, focuses on developing what it calls “safe” AI systems and counts Google among its investors.

The watchdog has highlighted that Anthropic has “a significant interest in UK government policy”, prompting concerns that the appointment could be perceived as offering “unfair access and influence” within government. 

This matters because, during his tenure as Prime Minister, Sunak prioritised technology regulation and established an AI safety summit in 2023, bringing together governments and technology companies to discuss risks associated with advanced AI systems.

Rishi Sunak's interest in technology 

Sunak has committed to donating all earnings from the three advisory positions to The Richmond Project, a charity he established this year with his wife Akshata Murty. 

The organisation's mission is to address numeracy education in the UK, reflecting a policy priority from his time in government.

Following last summer's election defeat, observers anticipated that Sunak might relocate to California, where he and Murty own an apartment, to pursue opportunities in Silicon Valley.

His new positions strengthen these ties to the US, but it appears as though the former PM will remain in the UK for the time being.

“I have long believed that technology will transform our world and play a key part in determining our future,” he says.

“We stand on the edge of a technological revolution whose impacts will be as profound as those of the industrial revolution: and felt more quickly.”