AI Impact HubTrump administration weighs taking a government equity stake in OpenAI
The White House and OpenAI are in talks over a possible US government equity stake in the company, which OpenAI could donate to seed a "Public Wealth Fund" that lets citizens share in AI's upside. President Trump confirmed the discussions to reporters on Friday, saying "pieces could be given to the American public." The administration has already taken stakes in Intel and IBM during this term, and reports say similar conversations have touched other labs including Anthropic. OpenAI is valued at more than $850 billion and is preparing for an IPO.
Why it matters: A government stake in a frontier lab would blur the line between regulator and shareholder, reshaping how AI power and profit are distributed.
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