Trump Considers Government Stake in Major AI Companies

Unprecedented Partnership Proposal

President Trump is exploring a groundbreaking approach to artificial intelligence governance that would give the federal government equity stakes in leading AI companies. The president said on Friday that he is considering taking a government stake in leading artificial intelligence companies, with industry leaders set to gather at the White House to discuss the idea .

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House are in ongoing talks about a possible government stake in the company, with discussions that have been in progress for more than a year as Altman first shared the idea with the Trump administration in 2025 . The AI startup 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 comments come as SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI prepare to go public , creating a strategic window for government involvement before these companies become fully traded entities.

Expanding Government Investment Strategy

The Trump administration has already taken stakes in Intel, International Business Machines and other quantum and critical mineral companies during the president's second term . The U.S. has made direct investments in at least 10 companies, including a deal with Intel that the White House has touted for providing a "direct windfall for American taxpayers," with the value of the company stock surging by four-fold since the government's purchase .

After the Intel deal was reached, Trump said publicly, "I hope I'm going to have many more cases like it," and in private, Trump has said that American taxpayers should benefit from artificial intelligence . The potential move into AI equity aligns with Trump's growing use of government stakes in strategic industries, from semiconductors to quantum computing, with analysts noting the administration already holds positions in about 20 private companies .

Bipartisan Interest with Different Approaches

The concept of government ownership in AI companies has attracted unlikely bipartisan attention. Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce the AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act "in the coming weeks," which would give the public "a direct ownership stake" in the country's largest AI companies via a one-time, 50 percent tax on their stocks .

Sen. Bernie Sanders called this week for the U.S. government to acquire 50 percent equity stakes in the AI companies, effectively bringing the companies under federal control . Sanders' American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would impose a one-time 50% tax payable with the stock of leading AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI and others, giving the public "a direct role in determining the future of this technology" .

Sen. Bernie Sanders told CNBC that he and Altman discussed the concept of a sovereign wealth fund during their meeting on Wednesday , highlighting how industry leaders are engaging with both conservative and progressive policymakers on ownership models.

Challenges and Future Implications

Critics warn that "the government would be a shareholder and a regulator at the same time, which creates substantial conflicts of interest," with concerns that the government could become "less willing to impose, or enforce, safety rules because doing so could reduce the value of its own investment" .

OpenAI is valued at more than $850 billion by private investors, and the company is gearing up for an initial public offering as soon as this year . The timing of these discussions coincides with massive valuations and impending public offerings that could fundamentally reshape how Americans benefit from AI innovation.

The administration's approach represents a significant shift toward treating AI development as a national strategic asset requiring government participation rather than mere regulation. Whether through voluntary partnerships or mandatory equity transfers, the debate signals that the era of purely private AI development may be ending as both parties grapple with ensuring public benefit from transformative technology built on collective human knowledge.