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Big Tech's ride to the right: Sam Altman says he doesn't align with Democratic party anymore

Big Tech's ride to the right: Sam Altman says he doesn't align with Democratic party anymore

Economic Times18 hours ago
OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman took to X on July 4, American Independence Day, to say that his thinking no longer aligns with the Democratic Party, and he is now "politically homeless," stating that he cares more about being American than supporting any political party.
He batted for a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country, which he thinks the blue party doesn't stand for anymore. "I believed this when I was 20, when I was 30, and now I am 40 and still believe it. The Democratic party seemed reasonably aligned with it when I was 20, losing the plot when I was 30, and completely to have moved somewhere else at this point. So now I am politically homeless," his post read.
Altman also said he believes in techno-capitalism, which encourages people to make money but also find ways to distribute it widely. "The world should get richer every year through science and technology, but everyone has to be in the 'up elevator,'" he said.
These comments come as Big Tech leaders have become more right-leaning since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Among other key reasons, these include economic incentives and pragmatism. Many tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, investor Peter Thiel, and, at one point, Elon Musk, came over to the red side due to the promise of tax cuts, deregulation, and less antitrust enforcement.
And Altman is not alone in becoming disillusioned with Democratic policies. Former Google founder Sergey Brin, Zuckerberg, Andreessen Horowitz, and many more have gone from supporting and bankrolling liberal causes to breaking bread with right-wing nationalists during Trump's inauguration in January this year.
Industry watchers claim that the Joe Biden administration's attempts to rake in Big Tech didn't sit well with the CEOs and founders. Altman concluded his post by saying, "I'd rather hear from candidates about how they are going to make everyone have the stuff billionaires have instead of how they are going to eliminate billionaires."
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