OpenAI discussed giving the U.S. government a 5% stake in its business, while proposing that other AI firms do the same, according to the Financial Times. Sam Altman initially discussed the proposed stake in 2025 with President Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to sources, and more recently met with Bernie Sanders over the matter in June 2026.
The idea is not completely out of left field. OpenAI has previously proposed a “public wealth fund” to invest in AI companies and distribute returns to American citizens, and Anthropic has suggested a “digital dividend” that would offer payments to Americans funded by taxes on the AI sector, according to Reuters.
It would also not be the first company (or companies) that the Trump administration has taken a stake in. Others include Intel (10%), MP Materials (15%), Lithium Americas (10%), and Trilogy Metals (10%). In total, the U.S. government now reportedly owns a stake in more than a dozen public companies, as part of an aggressive economic policy strategy to secure vital domestic supply chains.
Historically, the U.S. government has only taken equity stakes in companies as a last resort during economic emergencies, such as the 2008 banking bailouts and the 2020 pandemic airline rescues. However, those positions were later fully divested, whereas these recent holdings appear to be long term.
It’s important to note two key factors that would distinguish the OpenAI proposal from the deals above:
- The 5% equity from OpenAI (and potentially other AI companies) would be placed into a dedicated public wealth fund with a primary mandate to generate financial returns that are directly distributed to American citizens to offset the economic disruptions and job displacement caused by AI. Or as OpenAI tries to frame it — to “let the public share in AI’s upside.”
- The 5% stake in OpenAI would be worth around $42.6B, based on the company’s $852B valuation in March, but unlike Intel, which gave up 10% equity for $8.9B, OpenAI would be giving up equity for nothing in return — only goodwill. Or was it for political favors? Hard to keep track.
There are over 70 major sovereign wealth funds globally, managing a combined total of nearly $13 trillion in assets, almost always purchased with cash from exporting oil, gas, and minerals, or from trade surpluses. OpenAI voluntarily gifting equity to the U.S. government, instead of selling it to them, would be an unprecedented act.
