The proposal seeks to give the public a direct economic stake in artificial intelligence while helping to ease mounting political scrutiny of the sector.
OpenAI has reportedly explored offering a 5% equity stake to the U.S. government as part of efforts to strengthen ties with the Trump administration and expand public participation in AI-driven gains, the Financial Times reported Thursday.
The concept remains in its early stages and was said to have been raised by CEO Sam Altman during initial discussions with U.S. officials, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Under the proposal, leading U.S. AI firms could contribute similar equity portions into a shared public investment fund, inspired by Alaska’s Permanent Fund, which distributes returns from state investments to residents.
The initiative aims to address growing regulatory and political pressure by giving Americans a tangible financial interest in the industry’s long-term growth. Talks reportedly included senior Trump administration officials such as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, though any plan would likely require approval from Congress.
It remains unclear whether other AI companies, including Anthropic, Google, and Meta, would support such a move.
OpenAI declined to comment on the report, and further inquiries have been made. The San Francisco-based company also confidentially filed draft IPO paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in June but has yet to commit to a listing timeline, with some reports suggesting a delay until 2027.
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