OpenAI is in discussions to give the US government a 5% ownership stake in the company, the Financial Times reported. The move comes as AI companies face growing scrutiny in Washington over the potential misuse of advanced AI models and over whether the public should share in AI companies' financial gains.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has argued that giving the public a financial stake in the company, currently valued at $852 billion, is the best way to share the benefits of AI. Altman has raised the idea in conversations with White House officials, including President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to the FT.
Under the proposed arrangement, other leading US AI companies would hand over a similar stake, with OpenAI suggesting that each developer allot 5% of its equity to a special investment vehicle. This would be modelled on the Alaska Permanent Fund, which invests the state's oil wealth and pays dividends to residents, the FT said.
1 June 2026
Get the latest issue of Outlook Business
The stake could also help OpenAI strengthen ties with policymakers amid growing regulatory scrutiny, according to the report. However, the plans remain at the discussion stage, and the report gave no indication of whether the proposal has been approved.
Public Concern and Regulatory Backdrop
The proposal comes amid growing public criticism of AI in the US, as per media reports. Many people are concerned that AI replacing human jobs could cause major economic disruption, and could concentrate wealth among a few large AI companies without benefiting the wider public. A government stake could allow the public to benefit financially if the company continues to grow.
The Trump administration recently delayed the global release of OpenAI's latest flagship AI model, GPT-5.6. OpenAI is now said to be working with the government to address regulatory concerns before bringing the model to public use.
OpenAI is not the only company facing regulatory scrutiny. Last month, Anthropic's access to its most advanced models, including Fable 5, was temporarily suspended following a government order, though the restrictions were lifted on July 1.
Anthropic has separately proposed a "public wealth fund," under which returns would be distributed to citizens, and a "digital dividend," under which citizens would receive a share of AI-driven wealth through government-funded payments.
Broader Governance Proposals
Notably, in an opinion piece for the FT, Altman said he supported creating "a US-led international forum" to set standards, analyse risks and make "the technology available to nations and companies that participate and follow the rules." He wrote that the forum, staffed by "government representatives, independent technical experts and others," could also serve as a governance mechanism "and guard against the commercial pressures that can lead to unsafe racing."
Altman has also spoken in recent weeks with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, who has pushed for public ownership of closer to half of each US AI company through a sovereign wealth fund.
Trump said on June 2 that he intended to meet with top AI firms to discuss the possibility of the government taking a stake in their companies, to address public concern over AI.
The proposal comes as OpenAI prepares for a public listing. The company is reportedly facing financial pressure from rising AI infrastructure costs, expenses that are increasingly raising doubts among Wall Street investors about the sector's path to profitability.
