OpenAI has proposed donating 5% of its shares to a US sovereign wealth fund

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has proposed giving a 5% stake in the company to a US sovereign wealth fund, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter. Under the proposal, other AI companies would donate similar stakes, although important questions remain about the details.

According to the Financial Times, the donation aims to “secure good relations with the administration and…address negative political reactions.”

CNBC reported on similar discussions in June, and were later confirmed by President Trump, who said he discussed “concepts whereby the pieces could be brought to the American public, where the American public becomes an essential partner with the companies.” At that time, a specific size for the proposed equity stake had not been determined.

The talks are still preliminary, and according to the Financial Times, any formal action would likely require congressional approval, which would greatly complicate the matter.

Altman has also publicly discussed the idea of ​​creating a public AI fund, and OpenAI has become increasingly specific in its proposals for how to structure such a fund. More recently, a policy paper titled “Industrial Policy for the Age of Intelligence,” released by OpenAI in April, proposed creating a public wealth fund that could invest directly in AI labs and companies that deploy their technologies.

“The proceeds of the Fund could be distributed directly to citizens, allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth, regardless of their initial wealth or access to capital,” the document said.

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) proposed a more aggressive version of this policy in June, calling for a one-time 50% tax on shares of AI companies, with the combined shares deposited in a public wealth fund. The bill, called the US Sovereign Wealth Fund AI Act, applies to all “systemically important” AI companies, including those that deal with data centers, infrastructure, or robotics. Under the proposal, companies like Google and SpaceX that include AI only as part of their business would be allowed to spin off non-AI-related parts of the company to avoid taxes.

The draft law has not yet been submitted to the committee.