OpenAI co-founder revealed as giant donor behind Big Bear bald eagle land

The co-founder and president of OpenAI has donated $5.5 million to help environmental groups purchase a parcel of land near Big Bear Lake that had long been slated for development, according to an announcement from Friends of Big Bear Valley on Friday.

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Friends of Big Bear Valley and the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust were staring down a July 31 deadline to raise $10 million to purchase the 63-acre chunk of land along the lake’s north shore under a purchase agreement with property owner RCK Properties. As of earlier this week, the total amount raised stood around $4.5 million.

The parcel is near the nest of Jackie and Shadow, the internet-famous bald eagles who call the lake area home and use the proposed development site for hunting. Jackie is experiencing health issues and undergoing care at the Ojai Raptor Center. 

“We did it together! With your help we were able to raise the $10 million needed to save Moon Camp. Your love for Jackie, Shadow, their chicks and their habitat raised nearly half of the amount and culminating in the total amount being fulfilled thanks to a generous donation of more than $5.5 million from Anna and Greg Brockman,” states a Facebook post from Friends of Big Bear Valley on Friday. 

The nonprofit said the additional funds from the Brockmans, of OpenAI fortune, will allow the land trust to purchase the property “and have funds remaining to cover closing costs, taxes, legal fees and help maintain the land.”

“FOBBV and SBMLT would like to thank everyone that contributed to this cause. The boards and the team wish to recognize Anna and Greg for their amazing generosity for Jackie, Shadow, their chicks and this special place that so many people love,” states the Facebook post. 

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“Greg and I are grateful to all those who championed saving the home of these majestic eagles, Jackie and Shadow. Like many people around the world, we love watching them be amazing partners to one another and raise their young. They inspire perseverance and a sense of connectedness to something greater, to nature. We are proud to be supportive. We are so appreciative of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust and everyone who came together to preserve this incredible ecosystem, the life it will help sustain, and the forest that will be protected for generations to come,” said Anna Brockman, according to the Facebook post.

While the Brockmans’ gift will protect the land the eagles use as habitat, artificial intelligence and the associated data centers have been tied to a variety of long-lasting negative environmental impacts, including high energy and water use and pollution. AI data centers also appear to be creating their own microclimates, according to a March 2026 study, creating “heat islands” that could leave long-lasting impacts on local communities and their surrounding environment. 

Brockman also donated five times the amount he provided for Big Bear eagle habitat to Donald Trump’s super PAC in September 2025, making the OpenAI executive one of Trump’s biggest donors.