Trump Administration Discusses Federal Government Stake In OpenAI With Sam Altman

Senior U.S. officials have held preliminary discussions with major artificial intelligence companies about the federal government acquiring some shares, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has discussed the idea with senior Trump administration officials periodically since the president began his second term.

“OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House are in ongoing talks about a possible government stake in the artificial intelligence company, CNBC confirmed on Friday”

CNBC

CNBC reported that Altman and the White House are in ongoing talks about a possible government stake in OpenAI, with discussions in progress for more than a year after Altman first shared the idea with the Trump administration in 2025.

CNBC

As part of a potential agreement, OpenAI could donate equity to seed something like the "Public Wealth Fund" that the company outlined in its April policy proposal, and the fund could "invest in diversified, long-term assets" to enable citizens to participate in the "upside" of AI growth.

Trump addressed the talks while on Air Force One, saying, "There are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner," and he said he is meeting with AI companies "in the very short, very near future."

Fortune framed the proposal as a convergence of politics, saying Trump said the U.S. government may take direct equity stakes in AI giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, and quoting Trump: "You make them a partnership in this revolution," adding, "It would be a beautiful thing."

Fortune also reported that Trump’s response to calls for safeguards included a June 2 executive order asking AI companies to voluntarily submit advanced models to a 30-day government review before public release.

Engadget

In parallel, CNBC reported that the talks continued this week as Altman met with a range of lawmakers and officials in Washington about regulation and the latest developments in AI.

CNBC further said Trump signed a directive instructing the federal national security organizations to "accelerate AI adoption to meet surging demand" and to rapidly onboard the "most advanced AI models from multiple vendors."

The potential equity arrangement is presented as a way to distribute AI gains publicly, with CNBC saying OpenAI could donate equity to seed a "Public Wealth Fund" and that the fund could enable citizens to participate in the "upside" of AI growth.

“The strangest political convergence of 2026 just got stranger”

Fortune

News of the United States reported that deliberations have centered on having the firms voluntarily cede the shares to the government, with returns directed to public purposes like distributing a dividend payment to all American households, while also noting that the legal mechanism for any AI firm to turn over equity is unclear.

TechCrunch added that Trump said he’s spoken to AI companies about striking deals "where the American people can benefit from the success of AI," and it connected the idea to Sanders’ proposal for a one-time, 50% tax on the stock of companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI.

TechCrunch also quoted David Sacks warning that such a move would "accelerate the corporate-government fusion we’re already sliding toward," as the idea gains traction alongside expectations that major AI firms could be gearing up for initial public offerings this year.