OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reportedly floating a proposal to hand the US government a 5% stake in the ChatGPT maker as the company looks to cement ties with the Trump administration and blunt mounting political pressure over the explosive rise of artificial intelligence.
Altman has argued that giving the public a financial stake in one of Silicon Valley’s most valuable AI companies would be the best way to share the economic benefits of the cutting-edge tech, the Financial Times reported.
The proposal carries an enormous potential price tag. Based on OpenAI’s most recent private valuation of about $852 billion following its March fundraising, a 5% stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion.
That figure could climb even higher if the company reaches its reported goal of a $1 trillion valuation in a planned initial public offering, which would value a 5% government stake at about $50 billion.
While any IPO valuation would depend on market conditions, the proposal would rank among the largest federal ownership positions ever contemplated in a private technology company.
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.