OpenAI Reportedly Offers 5% Stake to U.S. Government Amid Growing AI Scrutiny

OpenAI has reportedly proposed giving a 5% ownership stake in the company to the U.S. government as part of an effort to ease increasing political and regulatory pressure surrounding artificial intelligence.

According to a report by the Financial Times, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed the idea with the Trump administration during early talks. The proposal is part of a broader plan that would allow the U.S. government to hold small ownership stakes in leading American AI companies through a government-managed investment fund.

Based on OpenAI’s recent valuation of $852 billion, a 5% stake would be worth approximately $42.6 billion.

OpenAI Reportedly Offers 5% Stake to U.S. Government Amid Growing AI Scrutiny

The report says Altman believes that giving the public a financial interest in AI companies is one of the best ways to ensure that the economic benefits of artificial intelligence are shared more widely.

In addition to OpenAI, the proposal reportedly suggests that other major AI companies, including Anthropic, Google, and Meta, could also contribute similar ownership stakes to the government. However, it remains unclear whether any of these companies would support such an arrangement.

Neither the White House nor the companies mentioned have officially commented on the report.

AI Firms Face Increasing Government Oversight

The proposal comes as U.S. officials continue to pay closer attention to the AI industry. Lawmakers have raised concerns about cybersecurity risks, national security, and the rapid progress of Chinese AI models, which have become increasingly competitive while costing much less to develop.

In recent months, AI companies have faced greater regulatory scrutiny. Last month, Anthropic temporarily restricted access to some of its advanced AI models to comply with U.S. export control rules before restoring access after addressing government concerns.

See Also: OpenAI Introduces ‘Lockdown Mode’ to Strengthen ChatGPT Security

A Long-Running Discussion

Reports suggest that discussions about a possible government stake in OpenAI have been taking place for more than a year. Earlier this year, the company also proposed creating a “public wealth fund” that would invest in AI companies and distribute some of the financial gains to the public.

The Trump administration has previously invested in private technology companies, including Intel and other businesses involved in advanced technologies and critical industries. Last year, the government acquired a 10% stake in Intel following a multi-billion-dollar investment.

President Donald Trump has previously expressed support for the idea of the U.S. government owning stakes in major AI companies, saying it would allow Americans to share in the success of the country’s growing artificial intelligence industry.

While OpenAI’s reported proposal has sparked interest, there is currently no confirmation that the government or other AI companies will move forward with such a plan.