Sam Altman proposes 5% government stake in OpenAI if AI competitors match the offer

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is exploring a proposal to give the U.S. government a 5% stake in OpenAI, contingent on other major AI competitors — including Meta, Google, and Anthropic — agreeing to the same terms, the Financial Times reported Thursday. Altman met with President Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss the arrangement, which would make OpenAI public to some degree.

Altman also met with Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has proposed that U.S. taxpayers own up to half of AI companies. According to the Financial Times, as cited by Fox News, Altman believes partial public ownership of AI companies is the best mechanism for distributing the economic benefits of the sector broadly to the American people.

The proposal comes amid a broader pattern of the Trump administration acquiring equity stakes in major technology and industrial companies. The Financial Times cited the U.S. government's purchase of a 10% stake in microchip manufacturer Intel in August 2025, as well as a 15% equity stake in MP Minerals, and additional investments in U.S. Steel and several quantum computing companies. Fox News noted that Trump's relationship with Intel improved following the government's investment.