Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been appointed as a senior advisor at Microsoft and Anthropic. This part-time role has been structured in accordance with the strict rules of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which oversees post-ministerial activities in the UK.
At Anthropic, Sunak will provide strategic advice on global strategy, macroeconomics, and geopolitical trends, with a particular focus on developments in the AI sector. He will not be involved in UK government policy matters or contracts.
Similarly, at Microsoft, Sunak will leverage his experience as Prime Minister to offer strategic insights and serve as a key speaker at company events, without engaging in lobbying activities on behalf of the UK government.
Notably, Sunak has announced that all income from these roles will be donated to charity. The funds will go to The Richmond Project, a foundation established by Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty to support educational initiatives in the UK, focusing on literacy and computational skills.
Under ACOBA regulations, Sunak is prohibited from lobbying the UK government on behalf of either company for two years following his tenure as Prime Minister. He is also barred from using privileged information obtained during his time in office, ensuring transparency and preventing conflicts of interest.
Commenting on the appointments, Sunak said: “I have always believed that technology will transform our world and play a central role in our future, and I want to help ensure this revolutionary change benefits society.”
