Trump Floats Plan to Give Every American a Stake in AI Firms

President Donald Trump said on June 5, 2026, aboard Air Force One that his government is exploring a plan under which AI companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI would give an ownership stake to the government or the public, making every American citizen a "partner" in the companies. Trump said "there are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies," and that "we'll look into that... where the American people can benefit from the success of AI," adding that he would meet with major AI companies at the White House the following week (Axios).

The same day, CNBC reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House have been in continuous discussions about a government stake for more than a year, since early 2025. The arrangement is expected to follow the "Public Wealth Fund" concept OpenAI proposed in an April policy paper, under which the company would contribute equity to the government (CNBC). Trump said he would meet with "all the big ones" but named no companies; reports cite OpenAI, Anthropic and SpaceX-linked xAI as candidates (Politico).

The idea comes as AI companies prepare for a wave of IPOs (initial public offerings) amid persistent public skepticism toward AI. Polls show many Americans believe AI does more harm than good, and demonstrating that the benefits of the AI boom could be shared broadly—rather than going only to Wall Street and venture capital—is seen as a way to ease that distrust. The Trump administration has already set precedents for government stakes, taking a 10% stake in Intel in return for government support, drawing attention as a departure from traditional free-market orthodoxy (Washington Post).

Notably, the idea spans party lines. Sen. Bernie Sanders has proposed a temporary 50% equity tax on AI companies and the creation of a sovereign wealth fund, while Altman himself championed a Public Wealth Fund in his April policy paper "Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age." The proposed size and form of any stake remain widely debated.

Reactions are split. Some analysts welcome it as a story about "national wealth" that would let ordinary citizens share in the AI boom, and some point to the alignment between Trump and Sanders as evidence that AI has become "too big politically" (reference). Others are skeptical that the government would take stakes in companies running massive losses—OpenAI projecting a $14 billion loss in 2026 and xAI spending more than it earns—warning of "offloading risk," an effective "bailout," and "dilution" of existing shareholders. They stress that who manages the fund and holds voting rights, and whether profits truly flow back to the public, will be decisive (reference).

For now the policy remains at the "exploring" stage, with no concrete framework for implementation. Whether the concept takes shape will hinge on next week's meeting with the companies.