Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently observed that the public has not granted permission for a scenario where only a few companies capture artificial intelligence’s financial rewards. His comment addressed concerns that leading AI labs, which all claim to be building artificial general intelligence, are competing not just for market share but for political power—spending hundreds of billions and gaining influence at events like the G7 summit. The article notes that a monopoly in AI could produce the most powerful corporation in history, echoing past corporate empires such as the British East India Company. Nadella’s warning highlights the risk that concentrated profits could translate into unchecked power, a dynamic already visible in industry spending on political races and defense contracts.