OpenAI Considers Ceding 5% Stake to US Government

OpenAI is exploring the possibility of ceding a 5% stake to the U.S. government, as reported by the Financial Times on Thursday, July 2, 2026. This move comes as AI companies face increasing scrutiny in Washington regarding the potential misuse of advanced models and the question of whether Americans will share in the sector's profits.

This initiative from OpenAI is not an isolated event. It responds to concerns raised by President Donald Trump last month, who stated he was considering options for the public to participate in major AI companies' gains.

OpenAI's proposal suggests that other leading U.S. artificial intelligence companies also cede similar stakes to the government. However, it remains unclear whether these other firms would agree to such a measure, according to the Financial Times.

"OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and company executives had suggested that major U.S. AI firms allocate 5% of their equity to a vehicle similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund," according to the Financial Times.

The concept of public participation in AI profits isn't entirely new. OpenAI previously proposed creating a "public equity fund" to invest in AI companies and distribute profits to citizens. Similarly, key competitor Anthropic had indicated it was exploring a "digital dividend," defined as payments to Americans funded through taxes on the AI sector.

The Financial Times, citing two individuals close to the discussions, detailed that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and company executives suggested major U.S. AI firms allocate 5% of their equity to a vehicle similar to the Alaska Permanent Fund. This state-owned corporation, funded by oil revenues, pays annual dividends to residents and contributes to Alaska's budget.

Sam Altman has been actively engaged in these discussions. He has conversed about the potential sale of stakes with President Donald Trump, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. Additionally, Altman met with Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders in recent weeks.

This news follows recent governmental actions, including OpenAI's delay last week of the full public launch of its GPT-5.6 model at the U.S. government's request. Prior to that, the U.S. government also ordered competitor Anthropic to suspend foreign citizens' access to its cutting-edge AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, due to national security risks. Restrictions on Anthropic's AI models were lifted on Tuesday.

The ongoing pursuit of mechanisms for citizens to directly benefit from AI and the careful oversight of advanced models remain central to the U.S. regulatory agenda.