OpenAI proposes: give 5% of shares to the US government.

OpenAI is seeking to trade equity for political support, attempting to ease rising regulatory pressure by offering the U.S. government direct ownership.

According to the Financial Times, citing two informed sources, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed in early discussions with the Trump administration that the U.S. government be given approximately 5% of the company's equity.

The core logic of this proposal is: to give the public a direct financial stake in AI development, thereby winning political goodwill for the startup valued at $852 billion. The relevant negotiations are still at a "conceptual" stage, and if implemented, may require congressional legislation.

Against this backdrop, OpenAI and its main competitor Anthropic have recently faced U.S. regulatory scrutiny, delaying the release of their latest frontier models. Meanwhile, some Republicans and Trump advisors are pushing for stricter controls on the AI industry. For OpenAI, securing the government as a stakeholder may be the most direct way out of the current predicament.

Broad negotiations involving multiple senior government officials

According to multiple informed sources, Sam Altman has been actively communicating with the Trump administration on the issue of public ownership, including talks with President Trump himself, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Altman has also recently met with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders previously advocated for a sovereign wealth fund to hold nearly 50% of every U.S. AI company, a position far more aggressive than OpenAI's proposal.

OpenAI's concept draws on the Alaska Permanent Fund model—which invests Alaska's oil wealth in the stock market and distributes dividends to the state government and residents. OpenAI and other AI companies could each contribute 5% equity to a similar sovereign wealth fund vehicle.

Proposal may extend to the entire industry, but attitudes are uncertain

OpenAI's proposal is not limited to itself. Altman and OpenAI executives have suggested that major U.S. AI developers—including Anthropic, Google, Meta, etc.—should also allocate equity to the above fund at this ratio.

However, according to the Financial Times, it remains unclear whether these companies are willing to accept such a plan.

Notably, both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for IPOs, which will further expand their shareholder bases and bring substantial returns to existing investors. OpenAI's IPO may be delayed until next year.

The concept of public ownership is not new and not a temporary measure

This proposal is not an impromptu move by OpenAI. In April of this year, OpenAI proposed establishing a "public wealth fund," aiming to "let every citizen—including those not participating in financial market investments—benefit from AI-driven economic growth."

In May, OpenAI's nonprofit arm, the OpenAI Foundation, also stated that in an AI-dominated future, "society may need new ways to give people a lasting stake in the systems that create value," explicitly pointing to a public or sovereign wealth fund model. In a blog post, the foundation wrote: "The goal is not just to help people cope with economic changes after decisions have been made, but to give them a stake and a voice in shaping the process of change."

From a broader perspective, Trump previously criticized Intel's management, but after the U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in Intel, his attitude shifted to support—this precedent may be an important reference for OpenAI's proposal.

Risk Warning and Disclaimer

        Market risk exists, and investment should be cautious. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investment at your own risk.