OpenAI proposes giving US government 5% stake to ease AI tensions

OpenAI proposes giving US government 5% stake to ease AI tensions

OpenAI has floated a proposal to grant the US government a 5% ownership stake in the company as a means of easing tensions with the Trump administration and mitigating public backlash against artificial intelligence, according to the Financial Times. CEO Sam Altman reportedly first pitched the idea to President Donald Trump early last year.

The proposal, which remains in the conceptual stage, would involve other leading US AI firms contributing similar equity shares to a public investment vehicle. This model draws inspiration from the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund established in 1976 to invest surplus oil revenues and pay annual dividends to state residents. As of May 31, that fund was valued at nearly $91.2 billion.

Based on OpenAI's latest funding round, which valued the company at $852 billion, a 5% stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion. Altman has argued that providing the public with a direct financial interest in the sector is the most effective way to share the upside of AI and its long-term growth.

The discussions have reportedly involved senior administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. President Trump described the concept of the American public becoming a partner with these companies as interesting and stated his administration will look into that.

The move comes as the White House adopts a hands-on approach to AI regulation. The administration has recently intervened in the rollout of advanced models, including OpenAI's GPT-5.6 and Anthropic's Mythos. Anthropic has faced significant hurdles, including being designated a supply chain risk by the Pentagon earlier this year. Last month, the administration applied export controls to Anthropic's latest models, forcing the company to pull them from the market. While Anthropic restored customer access this week after resolving safety concerns, the interventions have sparked uncertainty regarding the global prospects of US AI.

The US government has already shown a willingness to take equity in technology firms. Last year, the government acquired a 10% stake in Intel. Additionally, the administration reportedly demanded that AMD and Nvidia provide a 15% cut of revenue generated from AI chip sales to China.

It remains unclear if other AI giants, such as Meta, Google, or Anthropic, would agree to the 5% equity proposal. It is also unknown if semiconductor companies like Micron, AMD, and Nvidia would be expected to join the initiative.

OpenAI's proposal aligns with an industrial policy document the company published in April regarding "superintelligence"—AI capable of outperforming the smartest humans. That document called for a Public Wealth Fund to give citizens an automatic stake in AI infrastructure, even if they do not invest in financial markets. The policy also suggested raising corporate tax rates, taxing businesses that replace human workers with AI, and implementing four-day work weeks.

Altman has also reportedly held conversations on public ownership with Senator Bernie Sanders. However, the senator has pushed for a more expansive approach, suggesting a sovereign wealth fund overseen by an independent commission and financed by a one-time 50% tax on the stock value of major AI companies.

OpenAI, which confidentially filed draft IPO paperwork with the SEC in June, has not committed to a listing timeline, with some advisers weighing a delay until 2027. Some investors believe OpenAI and Anthropic could both be valued at more than $1tn upon listing.

Any final arrangement to grant the government equity would likely require an act of Congress to implement. OpenAI declined to comment on the reports.