WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed allocating 5% of the company's equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, according to a Financial Times report, as part of an effort to strengthen relations with the Trump administration and address growing political scrutiny of the artificial intelligence industry.
The proposal, which remains in the early stages, would reportedly encourage other AI companies to contribute similar equity stakes to the fund.
According to the report, the initiative is intended to help secure favorable relations with policymakers while allowing the public to benefit from the rapid growth of AI companies. Any formal plan would likely require congressional approval.
The concept aligns with discussions previously reported by CNBC and later confirmed by President Donald Trump, who said he had explored ideas under which Americans could effectively become partners in AI companies through public ownership. No specific equity percentage had been disclosed at the time.
OpenAI has increasingly advocated for a public AI investment fund. In its April policy paper, Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age, the company proposed a sovereign wealth fund that would invest in AI developers and infrastructure, with investment returns distributed directly to U.S. citizens.
Separately, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation in June proposing a one-time 50% tax on the stock of major AI companies to establish a public AI wealth fund. The bill has not yet advanced in Congress.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
