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Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak has taken on advisory roles at Microsoft and the AI startup Entropik, marking a high-profile move from frontline politics into the tech sector. He says he will donate his earnings to charity.
A part-time advisory role with strict safeguards
Sunak announced on LinkedIn that he will serve as a senior adviser to both Microsoft and Entropik, a young AI company described in the announcement as backed by Amazon and Google. The positions are internal and part-time, and are governed by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), the independent body that monitors post-government employment.
Under the ACOBA terms, Sunak is barred from lobbying UK government ministers or using confidential information from his time in office on behalf of either company for two years. He is also explicitly prohibited from contacting current government officials to represent these firms.
What Sunak will work on
According to published details, his brief at Entropik will focus on high-level strategy, macroeconomic trends and global geopolitical developments—areas where his experience as a national leader could add context to product and market decisions. At Microsoft he will take on a similar advisory capacity and is scheduled to speak at the company’s annual Microsoft Summit.
Sunak remains a Member of Parliament despite stepping down from Conservative party leadership after the general election loss. He emphasized that all income from these two advisory posts will be donated to The Richmond Project, the charity he set up with his wife, Akshata Murty.
Why this matters for tech and politics
Big-name tech firms frequently tap senior public officials for counsel on geopolitics, regulation and strategy. Those hires can provide valuable insight, but they also raise questions about influence and access—hence the ACOBA restrictions designed to prevent conflicts of interest. For Microsoft and Entropik, Sunak’s role signals a continued investment in connecting political and economic expertise with product and platform planning.
Whether the move will attract scrutiny is likely. Still, the announcement is another example of how former political leaders are increasingly visible in the tech ecosystem, blending public-sector experience with corporate strategy at a moment when AI and geopolitics are tightly linked.
Comments
PaTrick
Could be more transparent about what 'strategy' actually means, and how they'll avoid influence. donating the pay is nice but not enough
rainbyte
Makes sense tbh, political insight helps AI strategy, just hope rules actually stop lobbying
Asha
wait, donating earnings to charity sounds good, but isn't this a revolving door? feels a bit convenient...
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