OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has proposed giving the U.S. government a 5% equity stake in OpenAI, a plan reported by several news outlets and confirmed by the Financial Times. The proposal, described as being in an early conceptual stage, is intended to share the benefits of artificial intelligence with the public and to ensure the public participates in economic gains, while also aiming to reduce political conflict with the Trump administration.

Accounts differ on the magnitude of the ownership share. Some reports state that Altman suggested a 5% stake for the U.S. government, while other sources describe the proposal as offering the Trump administration a large ownership stake that would effectively cede control of the company to the government.

According to a report from Bluesky, the White House is actively exploring this intervention described as unprecedented in the tech sector. The Times of India noted that the proposal includes similar stakes from other AI giants such as Google and Meta and compared the idea to a state fund. Bluesky also reported the version of the proposal that calls for a large ownership stake for the Trump administration.