Trump’s Government Wants A Piece Of Big AI? OpenAI CEO Said To Have Already Talked With Officials About It

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has discussed the idea with Trump administration officials on more than one occasion in recent years.
• Trump and his administration have been more involved in businesses than past leaders.
• Anthropic has filed IPO papers, and a submission from OpenAI is imminent.

The U.S. government is eyeing taking a stake in AI companies and officials have held talks with OpenAI regarding the proposal, political news outlet Notus reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly discussed the idea with senior officials in the Trump administration on more than one occasion since the president began his second term, according to the report.

The government is considering a plan that would involve AI firms voluntarily ceding some shares to the government, in an attempt to more broadly distribute the economic benefits of AI to the public, according to the report. Anthropic has yet to be roped into the discussion, the report added.

On Wednesday, Altman met with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who has said he plans to introduce legislation to transfer 50% of the equity in the top AI companies to a public fund, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Trump Govt Eyes Business Stakes

Trump and his administration have been more involved in businesses than past leaders. The U.S. government picked up a 10% stake in Intel last year, and Trump has routinely endorsed the company in his public comments. 

He also weighed in on private deals, such as Warner Bros. Discovery’s buyouts, the federal classification of certain marijuana, and called for the firing of certain media personalities he has found critical of the Republicans.

OpenAI, Anthropic IPO On The Cards

The deliberations come as OpenAI and Anthropic prepare for what are expected to be among the largest initial public offerings in history — and as they struggle with public concern over AI. 

Anthropic filed its IPO paper confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year, keeping the number of shares it plans to sell and their price private. The AI company was last valued at $965 billion. OpenAI, last valued at $852 billion, is also expected to file the paperwork soon. 

On Stocktwits, the retail sentiment was ‘bullish’ for OpenAI and ‘extremely bullish’ for Anthropic.

There is a huge interest in these listings. Retail investors are already acquiring a piece of them through funds such as Fundrise Innovation Fund (VCX), Destiny Tech100 (DXYZ), and those managed by ARK Investment Management. 

Last year, OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar floated the possibility of the government backing loans tied to data centers. Altman later said the company doesn’t want federal loan guarantees, and Friar said the company wasn’t seeking help with its infrastructure commitments but was discussing a broader framework for an industrywide build-out.

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