Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is reportedly considering a plan to offer the U.S. government a 5% ownership stake in the company. This move aims to strengthen connections with the Trump administration while addressing increasing political scrutiny stemming from the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence.
According to the Financial Times, Altman believes that allowing the public to hold a financial interest in one of Silicon Valley’s premier AI firms could be the optimal method for distributing the economic advantages of this groundbreaking technology.
This proposal could come with a hefty price tag. Following OpenAI’s latest private valuation of approximately $852 billion after its March fundraising round, a 5% stake could equate to an estimated $42.6 billion.
Should OpenAI achieve its ambition of reaching a $1 trillion valuation in an upcoming initial public offering (IPO), the value of a 5% government stake could rise to around $50 billion.
While the ultimate IPO valuation would be influenced by market conditions, this proposal signifies one of the largest potential federal ownership interests ever considered in the realm of private tech companies.
The OpenAI proposal would encourage other leading AI developers to give roughly 5% of their equity to a government-backed investment vehicle modeled after Alaska’s Permanent Fund, which invests the state’s oil wealth and distributes dividends to residents.
It remains unclear whether rivals including Anthropic, Google and Meta would support such a plan.
The discussions between OpenAI and the Trump administration remain preliminary and could ultimately require congressional approval, people familiar with the matter told FT.
Altman has personally discussed the concept with Trump as well as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, multiple people familiar with the conversations told the outlet.
The discussions come as Washington has grown increasingly skeptical of the AI industry amid concerns about massive data-center construction, cyber threats and the technology’s potential impact on jobs.
OpenAI and chief rival Anthropic have been facing heightened federal scrutiny over their latest AI models, while some Republicans and Trump advisers have pushed for tighter oversight of the fast-growing sector.
Altman’s proposal underscores a broader shift in the Trump administration’s industrial policy.
Instead of simply offering subsidies or tax incentives, the administration has increasingly sought minority ownership stakes in strategically important companies.
Intel confirmed in August that the federal government agreed to invest $8.9 billion in exchange for roughly 433.3 million shares — amounting to a stake of about 10%. The chipmaker said the government would remain a passive investor with no board seat or special governance rights.
The administration has also reportedly pursued similar arrangements involving rare-earth producer MP Materials and a package of quantum-computing companies as part of a broader effort to strengthen US leadership in critical technologies.
Last month, far-left Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont proposed a $7 trillion sovereign wealth fund for the government to invest in AI companies.
The Post has sought comment from OpenAI, the White House, the Treasury and the Department of Commerce.