OpenAI Explores Offering 5% Equity Stake to U.S. Government

Sam Altman’s OpenAI has discussed offering a 5% equity stake to the U.S. government as the AI company seeks to ease political hurdles and strengthen ties with the Trump administration, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.

According to the report, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman has argued that giving the public a financial stake in the company would be the best way to share the economic benefits of artificial intelligence. He has floated the idea of a 5% stake in early discussions with administration officials.

The proposal would also see other leading U.S. AI companies hand over a similar shareholding, although it remains unclear whether any of them would support such a move. The report said a government stake could help OpenAI maintain a favourable relationship with the administration while also addressing political concerns by allowing the public to participate in the wealth created by AI.

AI companies have come under increasing scrutiny in Washington as policymakers and the public raise concerns over large-scale data centre expansion, job displacement and cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence.

OpenAI and rival Anthropic have both recently faced delays in launching their most advanced AI models due to U.S. regulatory scrutiny. At the same time, some Republicans and advisers to President Donald Trump have been pushing for tighter oversight of the industry, the report said.

Both companies are also preparing for public listings, which would broaden their shareholder base and generate substantial gains for existing investors. However, OpenAI's IPO is not expected before next year.

According to the Financial Times, Altman and other OpenAI executives have suggested that America's leading AI developers allocate 5% of their equity to a vehicle similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund, which invests the state's oil revenues and distributes dividends to the government and residents.

The proposal could potentially apply to companies including Anthropic, Google and Meta, although it is not known whether any of them would agree. The report noted that after publicly criticising Intel's chief executive, Trump later backed the chipmaker after the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in the company.

The discussions between OpenAI and the government remain at a conceptual stage, the report said, adding that any such arrangement could require Congressional approval. Even so, the talks indicate one possible approach to distributing the financial gains generated by AI.

The Financial Times reported that Altman has discussed public ownership of AI companies with President Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The OpenAI chief has also held discussions in recent weeks with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, who has advocated public ownership of as much as half of each U.S. AI company through a sovereign wealth fund.

OpenAI and Anthropic have previously suggested in economic policy proposals that public or sovereign wealth funds could eventually be used to distribute ownership stakes to citizens.

In April, OpenAI proposed creating a "public wealth fund" that would "provide every citizen, including those not invested in financial markets, with a stake in AI-driven economic growth." The company's non-profit arm, the OpenAI Foundation, reiterated the idea in May, saying that an AI-driven future would likely require new mechanisms to give people a lasting stake in systems that create value.

It pointed to public or sovereign wealth funds as one possible solution, adding that the objective was not only to support people through economic change but also to give them a stake and a voice in shaping that transition.