OpenAI: Discussing 5% Stake Offer to US Government to Strengthen Ties

OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence company, is reportedly engaged in preliminary discussions about ceding a 5% stake to the U.S. government. According to the Financial Times, citing two sources familiar with the matter, this proposal is being considered as a means to share the benefits derived from artificial intelligence technologies with the public and to navigate the growing political scrutiny faced by the sector. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has advocated that providing the U.S. public with a financial interest in the company represents the most effective way to distribute the wealth generated by the burgeoning AI boom.

Detailed aspects of the proposed arrangement suggest that a 5% stake, based on OpenAI's March valuation of $852 billion, would be worth approximately $42.6 billion. Altman has reportedly discussed this concept with high-ranking officials, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He has also engaged in conversations with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders on the subject. The proposal envisions that other prominent U.S. AI companies, such as Anthropic, Google, and Meta, would also contribute similar equity stakes to a public investment vehicle, although it remains uncertain whether these companies would agree to participate in such a plan.

This development unfolds at a time when the artificial intelligence industry is experiencing heightened regulatory pressure from Washington. The U.S. government has been increasing its oversight of AI companies due to concerns spanning national security, potential job displacement, cybersecurity risks, and the environmental impact of large-scale data center constructions. Recently, Anthropic was compelled to suspend access for foreign nationals to its new models due to security concerns, while OpenAI delayed the full public launch of its GPT-5.6 model at the government's request. Such an equity transfer could potentially help AI companies gain political support and improve their relationship with the Trump administration.

Precedent for government involvement in private technology firms exists. In August of last year, the U.S. government acquired a 9.9% stake in Intel (INTC) by converting grants under the CHIPS Act into equity. President Trump's past remarks suggesting that the government should have negotiated for a larger stake in Intel underscore the administration's interest in such strategic holdings. OpenAI's proposal is reportedly modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign fund that invests the state's oil wealth into stocks and distributes dividends to state residents, aiming to establish a similar mechanism for sharing AI-driven economic gains.

Market analysts interpret OpenAI's initiative as a strategic move to mitigate regulatory risks and foster public goodwill ahead of a potential initial public offering (IPO). While companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly preparing for public listings with valuations that could exceed $1 trillion, OpenAI's IPO might be deferred until next year. These "conceptual" discussions are in their early stages, and any eventual deal would likely necessitate approval from the U.S. Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders' previous call for a 50% government stake in major AI companies, financed through a one-time tax, further highlights the depth of political discourse surrounding this issue.