OpenAI to hand over 5% stake to US government, Financial Times reports

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and one of the most valuable private enterprises on the planet, is in discussions to give a stake of up to 5% to the US government. The Financial Times first reported the arrangement, which would channel equity from the AI giant into a so-called “Public Wealth Fund” intended to distribute the economic benefits of artificial intelligence to ordinary Americans.

With OpenAI’s valuation sitting at approximately $852 billion, even the low end of the proposed range, 1%, would represent billions of dollars in public value. At 5%, the stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion, a sum larger than the GDP of most small nations.

What’s actually on the table

The discussions between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Trump administration officials have been ongoing since early 2025. The concept centers on a voluntary equity donation rather than a government mandate or forced taxation.

OpenAI laid the intellectual groundwork for this proposal in an April 2026 policy document. That document drew explicit parallels between AI’s societal impact and the Industrial Revolution, essentially arguing that technological transformations of this magnitude require new mechanisms for distributing the resulting wealth.

For context, Senator Bernie Sanders has floated a far more aggressive alternative: a one-time 50% stock tax on companies like OpenAI.

Why this matters beyond OpenAI

No finalized agreement has been reported as of early June 2026. The discussions remain in a preliminary negotiation phase.

The concept of a Public Wealth Fund isn’t entirely new. Sovereign wealth funds like Norway’s Government Pension Fund have operated for decades, channeling resource revenues into public investment vehicles.

The timing also aligns with OpenAI’s broader transition from a nonprofit research lab to a for-profit juggernaut. Altman’s prior writings, including a notable blog post in 2021, recognized the potential of AI to create unprecedented wealth and called for mechanisms to allow for citizen dividends funded by corporate contributions.

What this means for investors

For investors and the broader market, a voluntary equity donation from OpenAI may set a precedent that encourages other companies to follow suit, potentially increasing scrutiny and regulatory pressure on tech giants. If the discussions result in a tangible agreement, it could lead to increased public relations wins for OpenAI while opening the discussion about similar public policies across the tech ecosystem.

For now, the 5% figure remains the upper bound of a range that could land anywhere. Investors should watch for any formal announcement from either OpenAI or the Trump administration, and pay close attention to the fund’s proposed governance structure, including who controls the equity, how distributions work, and whether the stake comes with any voting rights.

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