OpenAI and the Trump administration are negotiating a direct government stake in the AI startup. The idea is a "Public Wealth Fund" that would pay out directly to American citizens. Senator Bernie Sanders wants to push through a 50 percent tax on AI shares by law. Critics fear the arrangement could create a "too big to fail" dynamic similar to the 2008 financial crisis.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman first shared the idea with the Trump administration in 2025, according to a source.

The CEO pitched the idea as a way to bring economic benefits from AI to the public, according to NOTUS, which added that Altman first pitched the idea to President Donald Trump…