OpenAI, one of the world’s most valuable artificial intelligence companies, is reportedly considering giving the US government a 5% equity stake in the company. If implemented, the proposal could reshape the relationship between AI developers and governments, creating a model in which the public directly benefits from the growth of frontier AI.
According to the Financial Times, the idea has been discussed internally for some time and is still in the early stages. No final decision has been made. Over the past year, AI companies in the United States have faced growing political scrutiny. Policymakers have raised concerns about AI’s impact on jobs, national security, competition, copyright, and the enormous infrastructure required to power advanced models.
Against this backdrop, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly argued that the government should not only regulate AI, but also share in the economic value it creates. Giving the government an equity stake could align public and private interests while easing political tensions surrounding the company’s rapid growth.
How would a 5% stake work?
According to the report, the proposed shares would not be held directly by the federal government. Instead, they could be placed into a public wealth fund designed to invest in the country’s future and allow the broader public to benefit from AI-driven economic growth. The concept is similar to sovereign or public wealth funds that invest national assets on behalf of citizens. In this case, the value generated by advanced AI could eventually flow back to the public through the fund.
One of the most notable aspects of the proposal is that Altman reportedly hopes the idea would extend beyond OpenAI. If successful, other leading AI companies—including Google, Meta, and Anthropic—could eventually be encouraged to contribute a portion of their equity to similar public funds. At this stage, however, there is no indication that these companies are considering such a move.
If OpenAI issues new shares to create the government’s stake, existing shareholders would likely see their ownership diluted. The company is currently valued at approximately $852 billion, meaning a 5% stake would be worth around $42.6 billion. That would make it one of the largest equity transfers from a private technology company to the public sector in history.
The proposal remains under discussion, and no agreement has been reached. Any such arrangement would likely require significant legal and political approval before it could move forward.
Even so, the idea highlights a broader debate over who should benefit from the enormous economic value expected to be created by artificial intelligence. If adopted, it could establish a new framework in which governments are not only regulators of AI, but also long-term stakeholders in its success.
