2 September 2026
Pentagon AI official sells millions in AI company stock holdings
First reported
The Guardian ran this on , a day before the next source picked it up.
- Emil Michael, the top Pentagon official setting military AI policy, sold his Perplexity shares for between $5 million and $25 million in June.
- Michael also sold shares in Perplexity's parent company earlier this year for up to $24 million, and separately profited at least $5 million from selling Brex stock in April.
- Michael had received a $250,000 to $500,000 personal loan from Perplexity at 4.57% interest and sat on its advisory board before joining the Pentagon.
- Ethics experts say Michael should have divested from these companies before taking the Pentagon role, though legal experts say the sales likely don't violate existing law.
How it was covered
The AlgorithmMIT Technology Review
Emil Michael, the Pentagon official overseeing military AI, sold his Perplexity shares for up to $25 million. Critics argue he is turning the Pentagon into a venture capital firm.
Reported by The Guardian