OpenAI weighs 5% US government stake amid Trump talks: FT
OpenAI reportedly discussed giving the US government a 5% equity stake as part of a broader proposal for public participation in AI’s economic gains. The idea, raised in early talks with the Trump administration, would have leading US AI firms contribute 5% of equity to a public investment vehicle. Sam Altman has framed it as a way to distribute AI wealth, likening it to Alaska’s Permanent Fund. The proposal has also been discussed with Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders. The talks come as OpenAI has confidentially filed for an IPO and as Washington increases oversight of frontier AI, including planned voluntary security standards and tighter review of advanced model rollouts.
