OpenAI Pitches 5% Government Equity Stake Worth $42.6 Billion

OpenAI has proposed granting the US government a 5% equity stake in the company, a position currently valued at approximately $42.6 billion, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The White House has not publicly indicated whether it intends to accept the offer.

CEO Sam Altman introduced the 5% figure during preliminary discussions with President Donald Trump's administration, according to the FT. Altman argued that giving the public a financial interest in OpenAI represents the most effective mechanism for broadly distributing the economic benefits generated by artificial intelligence technology.

The proposed stake is calculated against OpenAI's most recent valuation of $852 billion, which the company reached following a record-breaking funding round completed in March. That round set a new benchmark for private technology fundraising and significantly elevated the potential value of any government-held position.

The proposal extends beyond OpenAI itself. Under the plan, other American AI companies would also be asked to transfer comparable equity stakes to the federal government. It remains unclear whether those firms would agree to participate or whether the broader framework would gain traction across the industry.

Discussions between OpenAI and the Trump administration have been ongoing for well over a year. According to a source cited by CNBC in early June, the talks had been in progress for more than 12 months. Separately, NOTUS previously reported that Altman first raised the concept of government ownership directly with Trump in early 2025.

In parallel with these negotiations, OpenAI is advancing plans for an initial public offering. The company filed confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, though it has indicated that the timeline for going public remains flexible and has not been finalized.

OpenAI and the White House did not respond to requests for comment submitted outside regular business hours. The administration's formal position on the proposed equity arrangement has not been disclosed.