Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Takes Advisory Positions at Microsoft and AI Startup Anthropic

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced his appointment as a senior adviser to both Microsoft and AI startup Anthropic, according to his Thursday statement.

At Microsoft, Sunak will leverage his experience to provide strategic insights on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends, including speaking engagements at the annual Microsoft Summit.

Sunak, who continues to serve as a Member of Parliament despite stepping down as Conservative Party leader following the July general election defeat, confirmed the advisory roles via LinkedIn.

He stated that all proceeds from these positions will be fully donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he established with his wife Akshata Murty.

Anthropic, backed by major tech companies Amazon and Google, clarified that Sunak's part-time advisory role focuses on strategy and global macroeconomic and geopolitical trends, explicitly avoiding UK-specific policy matters.

The appointment complies with regulations set by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which oversees new employment for former ministers and senior civil servants.

According to ACOBA's interim chair Isabel Doverty, Sunak is prohibited from lobbying for either company for two years from his last ministerial position and cannot utilize privileged government information in his advisory capacity.

The former Prime Minister is also restricted from initiating contact with UK government officials on behalf of Anthropic.

This new role follows Sunak's return to Goldman Sachs in July, where he previously worked as an analyst in the early 2000s before transitioning to hedge funds.

Microsoft has not immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the appointment.