OpenAI and the White House are discussing a possible U.S. government stake in the company, with OpenAI potentially donating equity to seed a “Public Wealth Fund” it floated in an April policy proposal, according to a source CNBC cited. The fund would invest in long-term assets and let ordinary citizens share in AI's upside, possibly through direct returns, and the talks have reportedly run for over a year since CEO Sam Altman first raised the idea in 2025. No terms are set and details could change, though Trump told reporters that “pieces could be given to the American public,” making them a partner. It fits a second-term pattern in which the administration has already taken stakes in Intel, IBM, and other companies, and lands as OpenAI, valued north of $850B, gears up for an IPO.
