Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has joined Microsoft and AI startup Anthropic as a senior adviser, marking his first major private sector roles since stepping down as Conservative Party leader after the July general election defeat.
In a LinkedIn post on Thursday, Sunak said all proceeds from the part-time advisory roles will be donated to The Richmond Project, a charity he founded with his wife, Akshata Murty.
Amazon and Google-backed Anthropic confirmed that Sunak’s appointment complied with the rules set by the UK’s Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), which regulates post-ministerial jobs.
At Anthropic, Sunak will advise on strategy, macroeconomic, and geopolitical trends, focusing on global issues rather than UK-specific policy. He is barred from initiating contact with UK government officials on behalf of the company.
Similarly, at Microsoft, Sunak will provide strategic insights on global macroeconomic and geopolitical developments. He is expected to speak at the company’s annual Microsoft Summit.
According to ACOBA’s letter, Sunak is prohibited from lobbying for either firm for two years after leaving office and from using privileged information gained during his time as prime minister.
