OpenAI chief executive officer Sam Altman has been granted Indonesia’s first “golden visa,” officials said, as Southeast Asia’s largest economy looks to attract wealthy foreign investors.
The cofounder of the ChatGPT bot sensation was granted a 10-year visa for his potential contributions to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country, Indonesian Immigration Director-General Silmy Karim said in a statement late on Monday.
“Once the holders of Golden Visa arrive in Indonesia, they no longer need to apply for a temporary stay permit at the immigration office,” he said. “We are rolling out the red carpet in return for the resources they provide to Indonesia.”
Photo: Bloomberg
The US-based tech entrepreneur was also granted a special visa because of his international reputation as the head of the AI research and development company, the official said.
With the golden visa the 38-year-old would be able to bypass immigration lines at Indonesia’s airports and more easily enter and exit the country, the statement said.
Indonesia has rolled out golden visas for investors who would receive a five-year stay if they invest US$2.5 million in the country and 10 years if they spend double that amount.
The country is seeking to develop an AI ecosystem as the industry booms worldwide, officials have said.
Altman visited Indonesia in June to speak about AI.
It was unclear if he requested the visa through an application to authorities or if he was granted it unilaterally by officials in Jakarta.
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