OpenAI has proposed giving the US government an equity stake of about 5% in the company, CNBC reported, as the Trump administration weighs taking ownership positions in leading AI firms. At OpenAI’s roughly $852 billion valuation, a 5% holding would be worth around $42.6 billion. Rather than sell the shares, OpenAI has proposed donating them, avoiding a direct cash outlay for taxpayers.
Under the idea OpenAI has floated, the donated equity would help seed a “Public Wealth Fund” meant to spread the financial gains of AI more widely — potentially, the company has suggested, through dividend-style payments to American households. President Trump has described the concept in similar terms, saying there are “concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner.” OpenAI’s valuation stems from a record March 2026 funding round co-led by MGX, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.
OpenAI offers 5%, Sanders wants 50%, Anthropic opts out
- OpenAI has proposed donating a stake of about 5%.
- Anthropic says it is not involved in the equity discussions.
- Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, proposing a mandatory 50% government stake in leading AI companies.
- The talks have run for about a year; no terms are final, and the arrangement may not happen.
Part of a broader government-ownership push
The discussions follow a run of government equity moves: the Trump administration has taken partial ownership positions in around 10 companies during his second term, including a “golden share” in US Steel in June 2025 that carried veto rights over major decisions. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman first pitched the equity idea in early 2025 and revisited it with senior officials in June 2026. A White House spokesman declined to comment, and officials have described the talks as voluntary.
No terms are final, and critics warn of conflicts
No official terms have been completed, and any arrangement would need to clear legal and regulatory hurdles. Critics cited in the reporting have warned that a government both owning and regulating AI companies could create conflicts of interest, and that issuing new government shares would dilute existing investors. Anthropic, for now, remains outside the talks.
