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.

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) announced plans to introduce a bill forcing the largest AI companies to hand over a 50% ownership stake to the public.

When the grid was electrified in the 1930s, it left landowners wealthy and the rest with nothing but displacement. Bernie Sanders doesn't want that to happen again.

US administration is exploring stakes in major AI firms days after Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed public ownership of leading AI companies.

Per NOTUS, senior US officials held early talks with AI firms about the government acquiring shares, an idea Sam Altman has floated since 2025.

While the planning is ongoing and details are in flux, discussions have centered on having the firms voluntarily cede the shares to the government, the report from NOTUS says

Palantir CEO Alex Karp warned AI firms face nationalization risk as Sanders proposes major ownership tax legislation.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman first pitched the idea directly to President Donald Trump in early 2025, according to Notus

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…

WASHINGTON, June 5 : U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters that his team is looking into the idea of AI companies giving the American public a stake in their firms.…

Trump has made AI a focal point, signing executive orders meant to spur growth even while public sentiment remains mixed.

President Trump said he's exploring the federal government acquiring shares in AI companies, likening it to a \

The policy has attracted support from both sides of the aisle on how to respond to AI, but economists still have concerns.

US government could take stakes in major AI companies - SiliconANGLE

"You make them a partnership in this revolution," Trump told reporters Friday. "It would be a beautiful thing."

Digital news outlet NOTUS reported on Thursday that senior U.S. officials held preliminary discussions with AI companies about the potential for the government to buy some…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has met with Sen. Bernie Sanders to discuss public ownership in AI companies — a meeting that highlighted the tension between AI powerhouses and policymakers.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is reportedly in talks with the Trump administration over a proposal that could give the US government a stake in the company. As part of the discussions,…

Senior US officials are exploring government equity stakes in OpenAI and other AI firms, with potential dividend payments to American households from AI

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday he would meet top artificial intelligence firms to discuss the possibility of the government taking a stake in their companies