Washington considers an OpenAI equity stake

The White House and OpenAI are reportedly discussing a proposal that would give the U.S. government an equity stake in the company. The idea has also been tied to a proposed public wealth fund that would aim to share gains from the AI sector more broadly. According to reports cited in the article, officials and industry backers have discussed a small stake in the range of 1% to 5%. OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman has reportedly spoken with both Trump administration officials and Senator Bernie Sanders about related proposals, while former White House AI adviser David Sacks has criticized the plan as a move toward closer corporategovernment ties. The report says the proposal reflects a broader debate over how the economic benefits of AI should be distributed and how governments should regulate companies in which they also hold a financial interest. It also notes that any such arrangement could raise questions about conflicts of interest if the government were both an owner and regulator.