OpenAI has entered early-stage discussions about offering the U.S. government a 5% ownership stake in the company, according to a Financial Times report published July 2, 2026. The proposal, described as conceptual, would involve creating a public-wealth-fund–style vehicle—modeled on Alaska’s Permanent Fund—into which OpenAI and potentially other leading U.S. AI firms would contribute equity. The aim is to share the financial upside of AI with the public and ease political pressure in Washington.(techcrunch.com)
The discussions reportedly involve OpenAI CEO Sam Altman engaging directly with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. OpenAI has also held talks with Senator Bernie Sanders, who has advocated for a much larger public stake—up to 50%—in AI companies.(tomshardware.com)
At OpenAI’s March funding round valuation of approximately $852 billion, a 5% stake would be worth around $42.6 billion. The proposal remains preliminary and would likely require congressional approval to proceed.(tomshardware.com)
The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of AI firms by the U.S. government. OpenAI recently delayed the public release of its GPT‑5.6 model at the government’s request, and rival Anthropic faced export restrictions on its advanced models. The proposed equity stake could be seen as a strategic effort to align public and regulatory interests.(tomshardware.com)
While the proposal has drawn attention, it remains unverified by OpenAI or the White House. Reuters noted it could not immediately confirm the report, and both parties declined to comment outside regular business hours.(investing.com)