OpenAI has proposed that the U.S. government take a 5% ownership stake in the company to mitigate political pressure in Washington, according to a CNBC report citing the Financial Times. The move aims to share the financial upside of artificial intelligence with the public through a government vehicle.
The $42.6 Billion Proposal to the Trump Administration
The proposal arrives as OpenAI attempts to defuse mounting friction with federal policymakers. Based on a post-money valuation of $852 billion following a record-breaking funding round in March, a 5% stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion.
CEO Sam Altman first pitched the concept to the Trump administration in early 2025. By April, the company expanded this vision, suggesting the creation of a “public wealth fund” designed to capture AI growth and distribute economic benefits to American citizens.
The strategy isn’t just about OpenAI. Altman suggested a broader arrangement where the U.S. government would hold a 5% stake in each of the nation’s leading AI developers. This would include firms like Meta, Google, and Anthropic, all ceding equity into a sovereign wealth fund vehicle. It remains unclear if those other tech giants would agree to such a terms.
“a beautiful thing”
President Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has previously characterized the idea of the U.S. taking ownership stakes in AI giants as “a beautiful thing”, arguing it would make Americans “partners in this revolution.”
Washington’s Pattern of Private Equity Stakes
Photo: CNBC
This proposal aligns with a broader trend of the Trump administration taking direct equity in critical technology firms during his second term. The government has already invested in IBM and various companies focused on quantum computing and critical minerals.
The most prominent precedent is Intel Corp. In August of last year, the government secured a 10% stake in the chipmaker through a landmark $8.9 billion investment in common stock. The administration’s appetite for these stakes is high; in May, President Trump stated he should have requested an even larger share of Intel.
Cybersecurity Risks and the China Factor
OpenAI's Altman takes jabs at Anthropic, says government should be more powerful than companies
The push for government alignment follows a period of heightened scrutiny over AI safety and national security. Washington is increasingly concerned about cybersecurity vulnerabilities within large-scale models and the rise of Chinese open-source AI. These Chinese models are reportedly proving to be significantly cheaper and nearly as capable as top American versions.
The tension has already resulted in operational disruptions for other firms. CNBC reported that Anthropic disabled access to its Fable and Mythos models last month to comply with a government export control directive. While Anthropic was cleared to restore those models this Tuesday after resolving safety concerns, the incident underscores the precarious relationship between AI labs and federal regulators.
Global AI Investment and Geopolitical Friction
The domestic struggle for control over AI is mirroring global tensions. During a recent panel in Sintra, Portugal, ECB President Christine Lagarde noted that the U.S. and Europe “need each other” regarding AI investment. She described the two blocs as being “sort of hostage to each other” in their pursuit of progress.
While OpenAI seeks to tether itself to the U.S. government, other tech players are diversifying their hardware strategies. Amazon, for instance, is designing its own AI chips for Fire TV, Echo, and other future devices. Panos Panay, Amazon’s head of devices and services, told CNBC that the company is focusing on semiconductors for its “critical” consumer devices.
The Stakes for AI Governance
The proposal creates a complex incentive structure. If the U.S. government becomes a significant shareholder in OpenAI and its competitors, the line between private innovation and state policy blurs.
For OpenAI, the benefit is clear: a direct financial stake for the government could transform the White House from a regulator into a partner. For the public, a “public wealth fund” could democratize the massive valuation spikes seen in the AI sector. However, the success of this plan depends on whether the Trump administration views a 5% stake as sufficient, given the president’s previous comments regarding the Intel deal.
The immediate future for these firms remains volatile. With chip stocks experiencing double-digit declines recently and geopolitical tensions escalating—highlighted by Russia’s “massive strike using long-range precision air, land, and sea-based weapons and attack drones” against Ukraine—the stability of the AI sector may depend as much on diplomatic stability as it does on equity deals.
