President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he’s been chatting with AI companies about potential deals “where the American people can benefit from the success of AI.” Because nothing says “public benefit” like the government taking an equity stake in a for-profit tech firm.
Trump didn’t name names, but CNBC reports that the Trump administration has been discussing an equity stake with OpenAI specifically. Some of that equity could reportedly seed a “Public Wealth Fund” that OpenAI itself proposed - a fund that would, in theory, distribute proceeds directly to citizens. Because what better way to democratize AI than having the government hold shares in a company whose CEO has been described as both a genius and a walking PR crisis?
According to Bloomberg, when reporters on Air Force One asked Trump about the idea, he replied that he’s been talking to AI executives about “concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.” Which is either visionary or the most convoluted way to say “we’re buying stock with your tax dollars.”
Bloomberg also notes that CEO Sam Altman has been discussing the idea of a government stake in major AI companies since early 2025. Altman, ever the philanthropist, clearly believes the government should have a seat at the table - or at least a chair in the corner with a notary stamp.
This aligns with Trump’s broader interest in government ownership of for-profit companies, most notably when the government took a 10% stake in struggling chipmaker Intel last year. Because nothing says “free market” like the state becoming a minority shareholder in your semiconductor business.
The idea has even found traction on the left, with Senator Bernie Sanders proposing a one-time, 50% tax that companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI would pay in the form of stock. Sanders argued this would “give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology” and ensure that “trillions of dollars potentially generated by AI are used to improve the lives of all of us.” Which is either a bold progressive move or a really expensive way to get a dividend check for $3.50.
David Sacks, former AI and crypto czar and current co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, posted that he sees why Sanders’ idea resonates “including with many on the right,” but warned it would actually “accelerate the corporate-government fusion we’re already sliding toward.” Because nothing says “sliding toward fusion” like a government stake in a company that might need a bailout.
Elsewhere on social media, former Microsoft employee Dare Obasanjo suggested, “The groundwork is already being laid for a government bailout of OpenAI.” Which is less a prediction and more a reading of the room.