OpenAI Proposes 5% Equity Donation as U.S. Senator Calls for 50% AI Tax
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly proposed allocating a 5% stake in the company to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, allowing the government and the public to share in the gains from AI while easing regulatory and political backlash. The proposal underscores how rapid growth in AI companies' valuations and influence has broadened the policy debate beyond technological safety to wealth distribution and the public interest.
As of July 20, 2026, reports had not disclosed the 5% stake's actual valuation, transfer date or implementation mechanism. Anthropic also said it had not discussed a similar arrangement with the U.S. government. Senator Bernie Sanders proposed a tougher approach: a mandatory stock tax equivalent to a 50% equity stake on systemically important AI companies.
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The history behind this eventUS Senator Proposes 50% Equity Levy on AI Companies as Vitalik Warns of AI Nationalism
US Senator Bernie Sanders is preparing the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would turn part of the ownership of major AI companies into a public asset. The proposal targets companies such as OpenAI that have benefited from public resources and policy support. At the heart of the debate is whether the wealth generated by AI should accrue solely to investors or be distributed to the public through a national fund.
Under recently disclosed draft plans, the US government would impose a one-time 50% equity levy on large AI companies that meet specified thresholds. The stakes would be placed in a sovereign wealth fund that would pay dividends to US citizens. As of July 19, 2026, the bill remained at the proposal stage. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized the approach for steering AI toward nationalism and potentially entrenching the monopoly power of established industry giants.
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