U.S. Government Weighs Stakes in Leading AI Firms, With Returns to Benefit the Public

Generative AI could reshape employment and wealth distribution, prompting U.S. policymakers to explore ways for the public to share in the industry's growth. In April, OpenAI proposed a “public wealth fund” modeled on the Alaska Permanent Fund. AI companies would contribute equity, and investment returns would be distributed to U.S. households as dividends, addressing concerns that the technology's gains could be concentrated among a small group of shareholders.

The Financial Times reported on July 2 that OpenAI, valued at about $852 billion, had held preliminary talks with the Trump administration about offering the government a 5% stake worth roughly $42.6 billion at that valuation. Chief Executive Sam Altman has argued that other leading U.S. AI companies should follow suit. No formal agreement has been reached. Anthropic denied holding talks with the government about a stake, while the method and timing of any dividend payments remain undecided.