Washington Eyes an Ownership Slice of OpenAI
The White House and OpenAI are reportedly discussing a deal that would give the U.S. government an equity stake in the company. The shares could be routed into a public wealth fund, tying Americans more directly to the AI boom while raising conflict-of-interest questions because the government would also regulate the company.
- The idea is being framed as a way for the public to share in AI wealth creation rather than only absorb the disruption and infrastructure costs.
- Altman has reportedly supported the general concept, but not Sanders’ 50% threshold for public ownership in major AI companies.
- The proposal lands ahead of expected stock offerings from major AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, and SpaceX.
