Rishi Sunak Appointed Senior Adviser to Microsoft and AI Firm Anthropic

Former UK Prime Minister Takes on Dual Advisory Roles

Former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been appointed as a part-time senior adviser for both US technology giant Microsoft and artificial intelligence startup Anthropic. The announcement, made on Thursday, October 9, 2025, sees Sunak providing strategic perspectives on macroeconomic and geopolitical trends to both companies. All proceeds from these new roles will be donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he co-founded with his wife, Akshata Murty, which focuses on improving numeracy skills across the UK.

Role at Microsoft and Strategic Focus

At Microsoft, Sunak's responsibilities will include offering high-level strategic perspectives on global economic and geopolitical developments. He is also slated to speak at the annual Microsoft Summit. This engagement follows his tenure as Prime Minister from October 2022 to July 2024, during which he actively championed the UK's role in AI safety and technology, including hosting the 2023 AI Safety Summit. His involvement is intended to leverage his experience in navigating complex policy landscapes and global challenges.

Advising Anthropic on AI and Global Strategy

Concurrently, Sunak will serve as a senior adviser to Anthropic, an AI firm backed by Amazon and Google. This internally focused, part-time advisory role will see him contribute to the company's strategy, particularly concerning macroeconomic and geopolitical trends. Sunak expressed his belief that 'technology will transform our world' and his desire to help these companies ensure that this shift 'delivers the improvements in all of our lives that it can'.

Regulatory Oversight and Ethical Conditions

The appointments were approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), the UK's post-ministerial jobs watchdog. To prevent potential conflicts of interest, strict conditions have been imposed:

• Sunak is prohibited from lobbying the UK government on behalf of either Microsoft or Anthropic for a period of two years from his last day in ministerial office.
• He must not initiate contact with UK government officials regarding these companies.
• He is barred from using any privileged information gained during his time in government.
• His advisory work will focus on global strategic matters and will not involve UK-specific policy.

Sunak continues to serve as an elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Richmond and Northallerton. These new advisory positions mark his continued engagement with the private sector, following a recent return to an advisory role at Goldman Sachs International in July.