The Trump administration is in talks to take an equity stake in OpenAI as part of a broader push to give the American public a financial share in the AI boom, according to reports from CNBC and Bloomberg. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday that he has been speaking with AI executives about "concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies." Some of that potential government-held equity could be used to seed a "Public Wealth Fund" recently proposed by OpenAI, which would distribute proceeds directly to citizens, allowing broader participation in AI-driven wealth regardless of starting capital.
The OpenAI discussions appear to fit a pattern of growing government involvement in private AI companies. CEO Sam Altman has reportedly been pitching the idea of a government stake in major AI firms since early 2025, and the Trump administration already took a 10% equity position in Intel last year. The push has also drawn interest from the political left, with Senator Bernie Sanders this week proposing a one-time 50% tax on AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk's xAI, payable in stock. Sanders argued that, with all three companies potentially heading toward public offerings this year, such a tax would "give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology" and ensure AI-generated wealth benefits ordinary Americans.
Not everyone in Trump's orbit is on board. David Sacks, who recently stepped down as Trump's AI and crypto czar and now co-chairs the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said he understands why Sanders' proposal resonates "including with many on the right," but warned it would "accelerate the corporate-government fusion we're already sliding toward." Meanwhile, former Microsoft engineer Dare Obasanjo wrote on social media that "the groundwork is already being laid for a government bailout of OpenAI," reflecting ongoing skepticism about how far the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley's leading AI lab will go.