U.S. officials have started preliminary talks with major artificial intelligence companies regarding the federal government acquiring equity stakes. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly pitched the concept directly to President Donald Trump in early 2025.
The proposal involves companies voluntarily ceding shares to the government. These returns would potentially fund public initiatives, such as a dividend for American households.
The discussions occur as leading firms like OpenAI and Anthropic prepare for massive initial public offerings. Anthropic has stated it is not currently in conversations with the administration about providing equity.