Rumor mill: OpenAI is weighing a plan to give the US government a direct financial stake in the company, as artificial intelligence becomes as much a political issue as a technological one. The $852 billion AI startup has discussed offering the federal government a 5% equity stake, according to two people familiar with the talks. The discussions are still in the early, largely conceptual stage, but they reflect OpenAI's effort to respond to mounting scrutiny from Washington over its most advanced systems.
Chief executive Sam Altman has argued that the public should share in the economic gains created by AI. In discussions with policymakers, he suggested that a government stake could help distribute those financial gains more broadly while improving relations between the industry and regulators.
The proposal is not limited to OpenAI. Altman and other executives have floated the idea of leading US AI companies each contributing 5% of their equity to a fund modeled on Alaska's Permanent Fund, which invests the state's oil revenues and pays dividends to the government and residents. Whether other companies – such as Anthropic, Google, or Meta – would agree to such an arrangement remains unclear.
The proposal comes as AI developers face a more challenging regulatory environment. In Washington, concerns have grown about the infrastructure required for advanced AI, from sprawling data centers to potential impacts on jobs and cybersecurity. OpenAI and Anthropic have both faced delays in releasing new models amid US regulatory scrutiny. At the same time, some Republican lawmakers and advisers to President Trump have called for tighter oversight of the sector.
People familiar with the discussions say Altman has raised the idea of public ownership with Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He has also spoken with Senator Bernie Sanders, who has suggested that roughly half of each major US AI company should be owned through a sovereign wealth fund.
The notion of shared ownership is not new inside OpenAI. In April, the company outlined a proposal for a "public wealth fund" that "provides every citizen – including those not invested in financial markets – with a stake in AI-driven economic growth."
Its nonprofit arm, the OpenAI Foundation, echoed that idea in May, saying society will likely need new approaches to give people lasting stakes in the systems that create value. "The goal is not only to support people through economic change after decisions have already been made, but to give them a stake and a voice in shaping how that change unfolds," the foundation said in a blog post.
Any deal to give the government equity would likely require an act of Congress, the people said. For now, discussions remain preliminary.
The talks come as OpenAI and Anthropic move toward potential public listings. Both companies are exploring IPOs, moves that would broaden ownership and generate significant returns for existing investors. OpenAI's IPO is not expected until next year.
There is already a recent example of the government taking an equity stake in a major tech company. After initially criticizing Intel's leadership, Trump later backed the chipmaker following a deal that gave the federal government a 10% stake. The Intel arrangement has helped normalize the idea that Washington could take stakes in other companies it considers strategically important.
OpenAI declined to comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.