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OpenAI Proposes Giving US Government 5% Stake, Worth About $42.6bn

July 2, 2026 at 00:20 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Funding & M&A

OpenAI has proposed handing the US government a 5% stake in the company, a holding worth roughly $42.6bn based on its recent $852bn valuation.

June 2026 · OpenAI × White House

OpenAI Floats a 5% Stake for the U.S. Government

In ongoing talks, OpenAI has proposed handing the Trump administration a 5% stake to seed a "Public Wealth Fund" — investing in AI and sharing returns with citizens. Terms remain unsettled.

Proposed stake in OpenAI

$852B

OpenAI private valuation

~$42.6B

Value of the 5% stake

The stake in scale

5% of OpenAI's ~$852B valuation ≈ $42.6B

$852B

Full valuation

$42.6B

5% stake

The Public Wealth Fund idea

OpenAI donates shares

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Govt-held Wealth Fund

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Invests in AI assets

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Returns to citizens

Talks began early 2025 · Trump cites the govt's 10% Intel stake as a model · An OpenAI IPO could target up to a $1 trillion valuation.

Supporters

Welcome Altman's case for sharing AI gains broadly; cite Trump's remark that citizens would become "partners" in the AI boom. Some also point to national security benefits.

Critics

Warn of political interference through ownership and First Amendment concerns over influence on model outputs. Unease spans both left and right.

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