OpenAI Weighs Giving Trump 5% Stake

The company behind ChatGPT is reportedly considering an unprecedented partnership with the US government that could reshape the relationship between Silicon Valley and Washington. According to reports from CNN and the Financial Times, OpenAI has discussed a proposal that would see the Trump administration receive a 5% equity stake in the artificial intelligence company as part of a broader framework allowing the American public to benefit from the rapid expansion of AI.

Based on OpenAI’s March valuation of approximately $852 billion, such a stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion, making it one of the largest government-linked equity positions ever contemplated in the private technology sector. While discussions remain in their early stages and no formal agreement has been announced, the proposal signals a major shift in how Washington views artificial intelligence.

Rather than being treated solely as a breakthrough technology, artificial intelligence is increasingly viewed as a critical national asset. The reported discussions reflect how AI has evolved beyond a commercial industry into an issue closely tied to national security, economic competitiveness and America’s long-term industrial strategy.

The proposal comes as President Donald Trump continues making American leadership in artificial intelligence one of the central priorities of his administration. The White House has increasingly described frontier AI as a strategic technology capable of shaping future economic growth, military capabilities and scientific leadership in much the same way previous technological revolutions transformed global power.

Administration officials have focused on expanding domestic semiconductor manufacturing, accelerating construction of large-scale data centers and strengthening the electrical grid needed to support next-generation computing. At the same time, Washington has maintained export restrictions designed to preserve America’s technological advantage over geopolitical rivals, particularly China.

Federal agencies have also expanded cooperation with leading AI developers as the government seeks to ensure the United States remains at the forefront of frontier artificial intelligence. The growing collaboration highlights how closely national policy and private innovation have become intertwined as the global AI race accelerates.

OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman has repeatedly argued that the benefits created by artificial intelligence should extend beyond technology companies and private investors. Describing AI as one of history’s most transformative innovations, he wrote, «Artificial intelligence will reshape the material conditions of human life on a scale that no technology has accomplished since the harnessing of electricity, and perhaps beyond even that.»

Altman also emphasized AI’s growing strategic importance, stating, «Evidence of AI’s economic value, importance to national security and acceleration of scientific discovery is becoming clear.» Looking toward the near future, he added, «In another year or two, we expect to have built systems with astonishing power, capable of delivering tremendous value to the world.»

According to reports, OpenAI executives have explored allocating a 5% equity stake to a government-backed investment vehicle modeled after the Alaska Permanent Fund. The concept aligns with Altman’s broader support for a “public wealth fund,” an idea intended to ensure that the economic gains generated by artificial intelligence are shared more broadly across society rather than remaining concentrated among a relatively small group of investors.

The reported discussions also underscore the intensifying competition between the United States and China for leadership in artificial intelligence. Alongside investments in chips, computing infrastructure and research, Washington is working to address the enormous energy demands of AI by supporting nuclear technologies, advanced geothermal projects, grid modernization and expanded data-center capacity.

Although no formal agreement has been announced and any government ownership proposal would likely face political and congressional scrutiny, the conversations themselves illustrate how dramatically the AI landscape has changed. What began as competition among private technology companies has evolved into a national strategic effort involving government, industry and critical infrastructure, with artificial intelligence increasingly viewed as one of the defining technologies of the twenty-first century.