- OpenAI proposes handing the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company, according to a report in the Financial Times.
- The potential holding would be worth roughly $42.6 billion at the artificial intelligence startup's recent $852 billion valuation.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly argued the move was the best way to share the upside of AI with the public.
OpenAI has proposed handing the U.S. government a 5% stake in the company, the Financial Times reported Thursday, as the artificial intelligence startup seeks to defuse mounting political pressure in Washington.
A 5% holding would be worth roughly $42.6 billion, after the AI fab closed
a record-breaking funding round in March at a post-money valuation of $852 billion.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argued that giving the public a financial interest in the company is the best way to share the upside of AI, the FT
reported, citing two people familiar with the talks. Altman suggested a stake of that size in early conversations with the Trump administration, according to the report.
It is not clear whether the administration intends to pursue the stake. The White House and OpenAI did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comments.
The proposed arrangement envisions other U.S. AI companies ceding similar stakes to the government, though it's unclear whether rival labs would participate, the FT said.
The U.S. government holds
a 10% stake in Intel Corp after an $8.9 billion investment in the chipmaker's common stock. In May, President Donald Trump said he should have asked for a bigger stake in the company.
In June, Trump said that the U.S. taking an ownership stake in AI giants would be
"a beautiful thing" and make Americans "partners in this revolution."<small>Source: CNBC</small>
Business
OpenAI proposes 5% stake to Trump administration to ease Washington pressure: report
CNBC
July 02, 2026
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