Trump administration, OpenAI discussing possible government stake in the AI startup
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House are in ongoing talks about a possible government stake in the artificial intelligence company, CNBC confirmed on Friday.
The discussions have been in progress for more than a year, as Altman first shared the idea with the Trump administration in 2025, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the details are confidential.
The talks continued this week as Altman met with a range of lawmakers and officials in Washington about regulation and the latest developments in AI.
As part of the potential agreement, OpenAI could donate equity to the U.S. government to seed something like the "Public Wealth Fund" that the company outlined in its April policy proposal, the person said.
OpenAI said the fund could "invest in diversified, long-term assets" and would enable citizens to participate in the "upside" of AI growth, possibly by receiving the fund's returns directly, according to the proposal.
No official investment terms have been decided, and the details are still subject to change. Notus was first to report the recent talks.
President Donald Trump addressed the talks while on Air Force One with reporters on Friday.
"There are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner," he said.
The president said he is meeting with AI companies "in the very short, very near future."
