OpenAI Floats Giving the U.S. Government a 5% Stake

OpenAI has reportedly discussed giving the U.S. government a 5% ownership stake in the company—not selling, but giving—as a way to court favor with the Trump administration and address growing political backlash over AI's societal impacts. The proposal, described by the Financial Times, would involve other major U.S. AI companies handing over similar stakes, though it remains unclear whether rivals like Anthropic, Google, or Meta would agree. Sam Altman has argued that giving the public a financial stake is the best way to share AI's upside, and has suggested the arrangement could function like the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund that pays dividends to residents. The talks are early and would likely require congressional action, but they follow the Trump administration taking a 10% stake in Intel last year—a move that preceded a 500% stock surge. Altman has also spoken with Senator Bernie Sanders, who has pushed for public ownership of closer to half of each U.S. AI company. The discussions come as both OpenAI and Anthropic have had cutting-edge model releases held up by U.S. scrutiny, and as both prepare for public listings that could happen next year.

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