OpenAI Reportedly Discussed 5% Equity Stake for US Government
Quick Look
- OpenAI reportedly discussed offering the US government a 5% equity stake as part of intensified AI oversight.
- CEO Sam Altman proposed sharing AI industry economic benefits, modeled on Alaska's Permanent Fund, in early talks with the Trump administration.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
OpenAI is reportedly exploring giving the US government a 5% equity stake as AI oversight intensifies. CEO Sam Altman proposed this to share economic benefits, modeled on Alaska's Permanent Fund.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has reportedly discussed giving the US government a 5% equity stake as artificial intelligence oversight in Washington intensifies.
The company raised the idea in early discussions with the Trump administration as it seeks to navigate a tougher political environment ahead of a potential public listing, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argued that giving the public a financial stake in the company would be the best way to share the economic benefits of the booming AI industry.
The report comes weeks after OpenAI announced it had confidentially submitted an S-1 for a US initial public offering, joining Anthropic in preparing for a Wall Street debut this year. It also comes as the US government takes a more active role in overseeing advanced AI models.
Proposal extends to other AI companies
The proposal would see several leading US AI companies contribute a 5% equity stake to a public investment vehicle. However, it remains unclear whether companies such as Anthropic, Google and Meta would support the idea.
The Financial Times reported that Altman modeled the proposal on Alaska's Permanent Fund, which invests the state's oil revenue into stocks and pays dividends to residents. Under a similar approach, Americans could share in the economic gains generated by AI.
According to the report, Altman has been in talks with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He also reportedly spoke with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who in June proposed a one-time 50% tax on the stock of the largest AI companies to create a nearly $7 trillion sovereign wealth fund for Americans.
Washington steps up AI oversight
The White House is preparing voluntary standards for frontier AI models following its intervention in the rollout of recent systems from OpenAI and Anthropic.
The guidance is expected to be announced as early as next week and would set security benchmarks, establish review timelines and clarify who can access the most advanced AI models in the US and abroad.
The Trump administration reportedly requested a staggered rollout of OpenAI's GPT-5.6 and temporarily imposed export controls on Anthropic's latest models over cybersecurity concerns before lifting the restrictions.
Cointelegraph reached out to OpenAI for comment on the reported discussions but had not received a response by the time of publication.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
US government may seek equity stakes in other major AI companies.
Possible · Medium term
Open Questions
- Will other AI companies support this proposal?
- What will be the exact terms of the equity stake?
- How will this affect OpenAI's IPO plans?
