OpenAI has proposed granting the US government a 5% equity stake, worth an estimated $42.6 billion at its current valuation, as the AI startup looks to defuse growing political pressure from Washington, according to the Financial Times.
The proposal was reportedly floated by OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman during discussions with the Trump administration.
Altman argued that giving the public a financial stake in AI companies would allow Americans to directly benefit from the industry's rapid growth, the report said.
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The plan reportedly extends beyond OpenAI. It envisions a government-backed sovereign wealth fund holding 5% stakes in major US-based AI developers, including Anthropic, Google and Meta.
However, it remains unclear whether those companies would support such a framework.
The reported discussions come as the US government increases scrutiny of artificial intelligence over cybersecurity risks, national security concerns and intensifying competition from Chinese AI developers, whose lower-cost models have gained traction globally.
OpenAI had earlier proposed the idea of a "public wealth fund" to distribute some of AI's economic gains more broadly.
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The latest proposal is seen as building on that concept while attempting to strengthen ties with policymakers.
The White House, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Meta had not commented on the report at the time of publication.
The Trump administration has previously taken equity stakes in strategic industries, including semiconductor and critical technology companies.
President Donald Trump has also expressed support for the government owning stakes in leading AI firms, saying such investments would allow Americans to become "partners" in the AI revolution.
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