OpenAI and the Trump administration have been negotiating a government stake in the AI startup for over a year. CEO Sam Altman reportedly first floated the idea in 2025.
OpenAI could hand over shares to the government to build a "Public Wealth Fund" that would pay out directly to American citizens. No terms have been set yet. Trump said the public could "essentially become a partner," and that talks should move forward "in the very short, very near future," CNBC reports.
Private investors value OpenAI at more than $850 billion, and the company is preparing for an IPO. The Trump administration already holds stakes in Intel, IBM, and other tech firms.
Senator Bernie Sanders confirmed he's discussed the sovereign fund idea with Altman. Sanders plans to introduce the "American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act" soon, as he laid out in a New York Times op-ed. The bill would slap a one-time 50 percent tax on shares of the largest AI companies. The government would get voting rights and board seats. Returns would flow to citizens as direct payments.
Sanders argues that AI is built on humanity's collective knowledge, and the wealth it creates shouldn't only benefit a handful of tech billionaires. Both OpenAI and Anthropic have floated similar funds themselves.
