OpenAI floats giving Washington a 5% stake worth $42.6B ahead of its IPO
OpenAI has discussed handing the US government a 5% equity stake — about $42.6B at its $852B valuation — under a Sam Altman plan to pool AI wealth into an Alaska Permanent Fund-style vehicle, with other labs asked to match. The talks, involving Trump, Lutnick, and Bessent, are conceptual and would need an act of Congress, and rivals Google, Meta, and Anthropic have not signed on — a bid to align OpenAI with an administration that is now actively regulating the technology.
Source: japantimes.co.jp ↗
OpenAI has discussed giving the U.S. government a 5% stake, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, as artificial intelligence firms face scrutiny in Washington over the likely misuse of advanced models and whether Americans would benefit from the industry's massive valuations.
Why this matters
- → OpenAI seeks government equity stake to align with Trump administration's AI regulation agenda
- → Tests whether AI firms will accept public ownership in exchange for regulatory favor
- → Addresses growing pressure over AI wealth concentration and economic displacement