Sunday, July 5, 2026

OpenAI floats giving US government a 5% equity stake

OpenAI

OpenAI has proposed handing the U.S. government roughly a 5% ownership stake in the company - worth about $42.6 billion at its $852 billion March valuation - the Financial Times reported on July 2. CEO Sam Altman's broader framework would have leading U.S. AI developers, potentially including Google, Meta and Anthropic, each contribute 5% of their equity into an Alaska Permanent Fund-style vehicle that distributes returns to the public. The talks, pitched directly to President Trump and senior officials, are described as conceptual and early-stage, and any deal might require an act of Congress.