Altman plans to give the US 5% of OpenAI if rivals join

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed transferring 5% of his company to the US government if other AI companies take the same step. According to Financial Times, Altman discussed the issue with President Donald Trump and senior officials.

Scraper SystemJuly 04, 2026, 10:42 PM

Altman plans to give the US 5% of OpenAI if rivals join

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that the best way to spread the benefits from the rapid growth of the AI sector to the American people is for companies to move to partial public ownership. According to Financial Times, Altman is considering giving 5% of OpenAI to the US government, on the condition that other major AI competitors do the same.

This plan of Altman's was brought to the table during his meetings with President Donald Trump, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. In the meetings, the idea of opening OpenAI to public ownership to some extent was discussed.

Altman also met with Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who has proposed broad public ownership of AI companies. Sanders previously argued that US taxpayers should own half of the major AI firms.

Altman's proposal requires competitors such as Meta, Google, and Anthropic to also transfer 5% of their companies to the public. This move aims to strengthen ties with the Trump administration while preserving OpenAI's position in the industry.

According to Financial Times, Altman wants to add OpenAI to Trump's growing corporate portfolio, following the example of Anthropic recently mending ties with the White House and being removed from the Pentagon's supply chain risk blacklist.

Earlier, in August 2025, the US government had bought a 10% stake in microchip manufacturer Intel, and later acquired a 15% stake in MP Minerals. The Trump administration has also acquired shares in U.S. Steel and a number of quantum companies.