AIToday

OpenAI pitches US government 5% stake to ease Trump tensions

The Verge AI4h ago4 min read
OpenAI pitches US government 5% stake to ease Trump tensions

Key takeaway

OpenAI has proposed giving the US government a 5 percent ownership stake—worth roughly $42.6 billion(約6.8兆円) at the company's current $852 billion(約140兆円) valuation—as a way to ease tensions with the Trump administration and address growing pressure to redistribute AI wealth. The idea is still in early stages and would require other major US AI companies to make similar offers, though their willingness to do so remains uncertain.

Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.

Sign up free →

3 Key Points

  • What happened

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed giving the US government a 5 percent ownership stake in the company, reportedly first pitching the idea to Trump early last year. Based on OpenAI's latest valuation of $852 billion(約140兆円), that stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion(約6.8兆円). The proposal is still in early stages and would involve other US AI companies offering similar stakes to the government.

  • Why it matters

    The move appears designed to reduce friction with the Trump administration, which has already intervened heavily in AI policy—designating OpenAI's competitor Anthropic a supply chain risk and imposing export controls on AI models last month. Public officials across the political spectrum are pursuing policy tools to capture and redistribute AI wealth, ranging from equity stakes to revenue cuts to taxes on stock value.

  • What to watch

    It remains unclear whether other US AI companies would agree to give the government similar equity stakes, or how negotiations will proceed. The discussions come as the Trump administration has simultaneously taken a 10 percent stake in chipmaker Intel and reportedly demanded Nvidia and AMD provide the federal government a 15 percent cut of their AI chip sales revenue to China.

FAQ

How much would a 5 percent stake in OpenAI be worth?
Based on OpenAI's latest valuation of $852 billion(約140兆円), a 5 percent stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion(約6.8兆円).
Who came up with this proposal?
CEO Sam Altman proposed the idea and reportedly first pitched it to Trump early last year, according to the Financial Times.
Would other AI companies have to do the same?
The proposal would involve other US AI companies giving the government similar stakes, but it is unclear whether they would agree to such a deal.

Discussion

No discussion yet for this article

Stay ahead with AI news

Get curated AI news from 200+ sources delivered daily to your inbox. Free to use.

Get Started Free

Free · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytime

1 minute a day. The AI essentials.

200+ sources · Email / LINE / Slack

Get it free →