Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, has held discussions with Donald Trump about handing the US government a 5% stake in the ChatGPT developer, according to a report that cites two unnamed people familiar with the talks.
The proposal, described as “conceptual” and in early stages, is intended to smooth relations with the Trump administration while sharing the benefits of artificial intelligence with the public. Altman has argued that giving Americans a direct financial stake in the company is the best way to achieve that, the Financial Times reported.
“OpenAI in early talks to give US government 5% stake to smooth Trump relations and share AI benefits”
Under the plan, other leading US AI firms — including Anthropic, Google and Meta — would also be asked to give a similar stake to the government, though it remains unclear whether they would agree. Altman and other OpenAI executives have suggested that each of the biggest AI developers should contribute 5% of their equity to an investment vehicle modelled on the Alaska Permanent Fund, a sovereign wealth fund that pays dividends to state residents.
The move comes as Washington pressures AI companies on national security grounds. Last month, Anthropic suspended its newest model after the government ordered it to curtail access for foreign nationals. The firm restored access this week after resolving safety concerns.
Altman has been in talks about public ownership not only with Trump but also with commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, the report said. Any deal would likely require an act of Congress to implement.
OpenAI and Anthropic are both preparing to list on the US stock market, in floats that some investors believe could value each company at more than $1tn (£751bn). The proposed government stake has raised fears of a “governance overhang” that could complicate a future public listing, critics warned.
Both companies have previously floated the idea of a public wealth fund. In April, OpenAI said such a fund could provide “every citizen – including those not invested in financial markets – with a stake in AI-driven economic growth”.