OpenAI proposes 5% equity stake for U.S. government to ease AI regulation
In brief
- OpenAI proposed granting the U.S. government a 5% equity stake during Trump administration discussions
- Proposal modeled on Alaska's Permanent Fund, requiring other AI companies to contribute similar shares
- Initiative aims to give the public direct financial stake in AI's long-term growth
- Congressional approval required; proposal remains conceptual stage
- OpenAI declined comment; unclear if Anthropic, Google, Meta would participate
A Public Stake in AI
The core idea is straightforward: leading U.S. AI companies would contribute similar equity shares to a public investment vehicle, drawing inspiration from Alaska's Permanent Fund model. This would give American citizens direct financial exposure to the sector's long-term growth. The initiative addresses a real political problem — growing scrutiny of AI companies on Capitol Hill — by aligning public and industry interests.
Discussions reportedly involved senior Trump administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The proposal's architects appear to be betting that shared financial upside could defuse tensions over AI regulation and development.
The Roadblocks Ahead
Any such arrangement would likely require Congressional approval. That's a substantial hurdle. It's unclear whether other companies with interests in AI, including Anthropic, Google, and Meta, would support the proposal. Without broad industry buy-in, the plan may struggle to gain traction.
OpenAI declined to comment to the Financial Times on the matter. The company has other things on its plate: it confidentially filed draft IPO paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in June, though it has not committed to a listing timeline. Recent reports suggest advisers are weighing a delay of OpenAI's IPO until 2027.
The equity-stake proposal sits at the intersection of two competing realities: OpenAI's desire to go public on its own terms, and political pressure to embed the public interest in AI's governance. Whether this conceptual idea ever moves beyond the drawing board depends on whether the Trump administration sees it as a viable path to mollify both Congress and Silicon Valley.
