OpenAI Floats Giving the US Government a 5% Stake Worth $42.6 Billion

OpenAI discussed handing Washington a 5% equity stake through a public wealth fund modeled on Alaska's oil dividend, a plan that would give every American a financial stake in AI, the Financial Times reports.

OpenAI Floats Giving the US Government a 5% Stake Worth $42.6 Billion OpenAI discussed handing Washington a 5% equity stake through a public wealth fund modeled on Alaska's oil dividend, a plan that would give every American a financial stake in AI, the Financial Times reports. Aaron Rafferty July 02, 2026 Key Takeaways OpenAI has discussed granting the US government a 5% equity stake worth about $42.6 billion, the Financial Times reported on July 2, citing two people familiar with the talks. The concept would pool donated equity from leading US AI companies into a public investment vehicle modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund, paying returns to the public. The proposal is conceptual, would likely require Congressional approval, and it is unclear whether Anthropic, Google, or Meta would participate. OpenAI has discussed granting the US government a 5% equity stake, the Financial Times reported on July 2, citing two people familiar with the talks. At the $852 billion valuation set by the company's March funding round, that stake would be worth about $42.6 billion. CEO Sam Altman raised the idea in early conversations with senior administration officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, according to CNBC's account of the report . The concept would have leading US AI companies each contribute a similar share of equity to a public investment vehicle modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund, which invests the state's oil wealth and pays residents a dividend. The idea traces back to April, when OpenAI argued publicly for a public wealth fund that would give every citizen a financial stake in AI-driven growth, including people who own no stocks at all. Under that framework, companies would donate shares rather than