OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is reportedly discussing handing the Trump administration a 5% stake in the company amid growing government scrutiny of artificial intelligence firms. The proposal would involve other US AI companies giving the government similar stakes, the Financial Times reported Thursday, July 2, citing two people familiar with what were described as “early conversations.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has argued that the arrangement would allow the public to share in the financial upside of AI, the FT reported.
A 5% share in OpenAI would be worth about $42.6 billion, based on a funding round in March that valued the company at $852 billion. Sharing the wealth generated by AI with the public could help to address some of the pushback against the technology, which threatens jobs in many industries and has potentially wide-ranging implications for national security.
Last month, US President Donald Trump told reporters that he planned to meet with top AI executives to discuss giving the public a stake in their companies. He said the White House was weighing various options for partnerships with AI firms that would allow the government to benefit from the industry’s growth.
OpenAI and rival Anthropic, the creator of Claude AI, have both had the release of upcoming models held up by government scrutiny. Anthropic said Tuesday that the US government had lifted export controls on its most advanced models following negotiations between the company and officials. Meanwhile, the White House requested that OpenAI limit the release of its upcoming GPT 5.6 model to a small number of government-approved partners because of its advanced capabilities, a source familiar with the situation told CNN in June.
Both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for stock market listings, which would allow the public to buy shares in the companies and also lift the veil on their finances. Under the latest proposals discussed with officials, Altman and other OpenAI executives have suggested that America’s leading AI companies allot 5% of their equity to a vehicle similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign fund that invests the state’s oil wealth into stocks and pays dividends to the state government, according to the FT.
Any deal might require an act of Congress to implement, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the talks. It is unclear whether other AI companies are supportive of the proposals. In April, OpenAI argued for a “public wealth fund,” which “provides every citizen – including those not invested in financial markets with a stake in AI-driven economic growth.”
Trump has made American leadership in AI and other advanced technologies a priority of his administration. In August, the US government took a 10% stake in chipmaker Intel, an investment worth $8.9 billion.