OpenAI has reportedly considered giving the Trump administration a 5 per cent stake in the company as AI firms face growing scrutiny in Washington over the potential misuse of advanced models and whether Americans should share in the sector’s profits.According to the Financial Times, the proposal was discussed in early conversations between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Trump administration officials including Trump, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Altman has also suggested that other leading US AI companies, including rivals, could eventually hand over a similar stake, although it remains unclear whether they would agree.The proposed arrangement is aimed at helping AI companies build stronger ties with the administration while addressing political concerns over how the economic gains from artificial intelligence should be distributed to the public. The discussions are said to be at a conceptual stage, and any such arrangement could require an act of Congress.This comes as AI developers face increasing scrutiny in Washington over the rapid expansion of the technology, including concerns about its impact on jobs, cybersecurity and the construction of massive data centres. OpenAI and rival Anthropic have also faced delays in releasing their latest AI models amid heightened government scrutiny, while some Republicans and advisers to President Donald Trump have pushed for tighter regulation of the sector.OpenAI and Anthropic are also preparing for potential public listings, which would significantly expand their ownership base. Additionally, the company has previously advocated mechanisms such as public or sovereign wealth funds to give citizens a stake in AI-driven economic growth, though it has not publicly confirmed the reported proposal to offer the government an equity stake.
