OpenAI has floated a proposal to grant the US government a 5% equity stake in the company, according to a Financial Times report, as Washington moves to tighten oversight of the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector. The plan, still in early conceptual stages, would also encourage other major AI developers such as Anthropic, Google, and Meta to allocate similar stakes to the government.
At OpenAI's current valuation of approximately $852 billion, a 5% stake would be worth more than $42 billion. The proposal draws inspiration from the Alaska Permanent Fund, a state-owned investment vehicle funded by oil revenues that distributes annual dividends to residents. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and other executives have discussed placing the equity into a similar public wealth fund, which would require an act of Congress to implement.
Political and Industry Reactions
Altman has reportedly discussed the proposal with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. He has also held recent conversations with Senator Bernie Sanders, who has advocated for a sovereign wealth fund financed through a one-time 50% tax on shares of the largest AI companies. The discussions come amid intensifying debate over whether the economic gains from AI should be shared more broadly with the public.
Last month, Trump stated that his administration was exploring options to give Americans a direct stake in leading AI companies, describing government ownership as 'a beautiful thing' that would make citizens 'partners in this revolution.' OpenAI has previously proposed a public wealth fund to invest in AI companies and distribute returns, while Anthropic has discussed a 'digital dividend' funded through taxes on the AI industry.
Precedent and Regulatory Context
There is recent precedent for government equity stakes in strategic technology companies. In August 2025, the US government acquired a 9.9% stake in Intel at a discounted valuation after the Trump administration intervened to support the struggling chipmaker. The White House has since pointed to that investment as a successful example of public participation in corporate value creation. For more on Intel's recent performance, see Intel Shares Hit Record $141.45 on Apple Chip Deal Reports, Mizuho Boost.
The proposal also comes as Washington exercises greater influence over AI deployment. Last week, OpenAI delayed the full public rollout of GPT-5.6 at the request of the US government. That followed an earlier directive requiring Anthropic to suspend foreign access to its frontier AI models over national security concerns. Restrictions on Anthropic's models were lifted earlier this week, but the episode underscores the increasingly close relationship between AI developers and federal regulators.
Market Implications
Bringing the government onto company cap tables could strengthen ties between AI firms and policymakers while potentially generating broader political support by allowing the public to share in the wealth created by the industry's rapid expansion. The proposal also comes as OpenAI and Anthropic prepare for eventual US stock market listings, transactions that some investors believe could value each company at more than $1 trillion. A government-backed ownership structure could become a defining feature of how the next generation of AI companies balances private innovation with public participation.
For context on other major AI investments, see OpenAI, Meta, Oracle Commit to AMD: Is This the Most Undervalued AI Stock? and SoftBank Stock Jumps 13%: Arm, OpenAI, Record Profit, and Son's Vision Fuel Rally.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
