Trump said on Friday that he had discussed deal arrangements with several AI companies with the goal of allowing the American public to share in the benefits of the industry's growth. While he did not name specific companies, several media outlets reported that OpenAI is one of the key companies currently under discussion.

The White House reportedly contacted OpenAI

CNBC reported that the Trump administration has discussed the possibility of government ownership of OpenAI. Bloomberg later quoted Trump's remarks aboard Air Force One as saying that he was discussing proposals with AI industry executives to make the American public, in a sense, "partners" with these companies.

Partial equity may be used for public funds

The report mentions that a portion of the equity stake may be used to provide initial assets for OpenAI's recently proposed "public wealth fund." According to OpenAI's vision, the fund's returns can be directly distributed to citizens, allowing more people to share in the growth of the AI industry, rather than depending on individual pre-existing wealth or capital channels.

Bloomberg also reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been discussing the idea of governments holding stakes in large AI companies since early 2025. This indicates that the discussions have not been short-term but have been ongoing for some time.

Both parties are discussing public distribution.

Similar proposals have recently emerged within the Democratic camp. Senator Bernie Sanders proposed this week a one-time 50% tax on companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, but in the form of stock, not cash.

David Sacks, an investor who recently stepped down as head of AI and crypto affairs in the Trump administration, said he understands why the idea resonates and even has supporters among some right-wing groups, but he warned that it could further push for a clash of interests between businesses and the government.