OpenAI offers 5% stake to Trump administration: Report
What's the story
OpenAI has reportedly offered a 5% stake to the US government. The proposal was made during talks about restructuring its corporate governance and getting support from the US administration. According to the Financial Times, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his executive team have proposed that leading US AI companies pool 5% of their equity into a public fund.
Valuation impact
Proposed stake could be worth tens of billions of dollars
If the proposal is accepted, the stake could be worth tens of billions of dollars, depending on OpenAI's valuation. The idea is based on the Alaska Permanent Fund, a state-owned corporation that uses oil money to pay yearly dividends to citizens and fund the state budget. The move has sparked a debate about who should benefit from AI's rapid growth and how closely governments should be tied to major players in this industry.
Strategic alignment
Aligning OpenAI's interests with those of US government
The proposal was pitched as a way to align OpenAI's interests with those of the US government, especially as AI becomes an increasingly strategic technology. Neither OpenAI nor the White House have commented on the matter. The development comes at a time when OpenAI is still restructuring its corporate governance and competing with other companies to develop more advanced AI models.
Trump's view
Trump wants public to own stake in top AI companies
US President Donald Trump recently announced he is looking into ways for the public to own a stake in top AI companies, addressing fears that regular Americans will be left out of the industry's massive profits. In line with this, OpenAI has suggested creating a 'public wealth fund' to invest in AI firms and pay out returns to citizens. Meanwhile, Anthropic is looking into a 'digital dividend' that would use AI industry taxes to send direct payments to Americans.