President Donald Trump said his administration is considering whether the U.S. government could take equity stakes in artificial intelligence companies, as the White House prepares for a possible meeting with AI executives as soon as next week. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the idea could create a structure where the American public shares in the financial success of major AI firms. He described the concept as a possible partnership between AI companies and citizens, though no official terms have been announced. The discussions come as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House continue talks about a possible government stake in the company. The conversations have reportedly been underway for more than a year, after Altman first raised the idea with the Trump administration in 2025. OpenAI Talks Include Public Wealth Fund Idea OpenAI has discussed donating equity to the U.S. government to help seed a structure similar to a public wealth fund. The company outlined that idea in an April policy proposal, saying such a fund could invest in diversified long-term assets and allow citizens to participate in the financial upside of AI growth. OpenAI is valued at more than $850 billion by private investors and is preparing for a possible initial public offering as soon as this year. The company completed a large funding round in March co-led by MGX, which is backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund. Trump signed an executive order in February calling for the federal government to establish a sovereign wealth fund. His administration has already taken stakes in Intel, IBM and several quantum and critical minerals companies during his second term. Trump said there is “so much money” in AI that some equity could be shared with the public. He added that giving Americans a financial stake could help increase public acceptance of AI as concerns grow over job disruption and automation. White House Plans AI Executive Meeting Trump said he expects to meet with major AI companies in the near future, possibly next week. He did not name the firms expected to attend, but leading AI companies include OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, xAI, and SpaceX-linked AI operations. The talks come as the White House continues shaping its AI policy. Trump recently signed a directive instructing federal national security organizations to accelerate AI adoption and onboard advanced AI models from multiple vendors. He also signed an executive order asking AI companies to voluntarily provide the government access to their most advanced models for up to 30 days before public release. OpenAI’s Altman publicly supported the order, saying the U.S. should lead on AI while keeping models safe and giving cyber tools to trusted defenders. The administration had earlier paused another AI executive order after industry resistance to some provisions. Trump later said he did not want any policy that could weaken the U.S. position in competition with China. David Sacks Warns Against Government AI Ownership The idea of government equity stakes has drawn criticism from some conservatives and technology policy figures. David Sacks, Trump’s former AI czar, warned that government ownership could deepen the link between corporations and the state. Sacks said he understood why proposals for public ownership appeal to some people, especially because AI executives have warned about job losses and social disruption. However, he argued that government stakes in AI companies could create risks around political control, censorship, and centralized decision-making. Senator Bernie Sanders has also proposed a plan that would give the government a 50% stake in AI companies. Trump said he and Sanders are “not that far apart” on some economic ideas when asked about support for a profit-sharing model. The debate comes as OpenAI and Anthropic move toward large public listings, with valuations expected to exceed $1 trillion. Concurrently, Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for a separate IPO at a valuation above $1.75 trillion. If the government takes stakes in major AI firms, it would mark another step in the administration’s broader use of public equity ownership in strategic industries. No final agreement has been reached with OpenAI or any other AI company. The White House meeting, if held next week, could determine whether the equity stake proposal becomes part of the administration’s formal AI policy agenda.
