OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed transferring 5% of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, the Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing two people familiar with the matter. According to the report, Altman has suggested that other AI firms make similar donations, though many details remain unresolved.
The FT said the proposed donation would aim in part to “secure good relations with the administration and… address political blowback.” CNBC reported similar discussions in June, which were later confirmed by President Donald Trump; Trump said he had discussed “concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.” At that time, no specific equity size was disclosed.
The talks are at an early stage, and the Financial Times noted that any formal action would likely require congressional approval, which would complicate the process significantly.
Related proposals and political debate
The idea of a public AI fund has been raised publicly by Altman before. OpenAI has increasingly specified how such a fund might be structured. In April, OpenAI published a policy paper titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age,” which proposed a public wealth fund that could invest directly in AI labs and companies deploying AI technologies.
The paper states: “Returns from the Fund could be distributed directly to citizens, allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI‑driven growth, regardless of their starting wealth or access to capital.”
Separately, in June Sen. Bernie Sanders (I‑VT) put forward a more aggressive policy proposal. The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act would impose a one‑time 50% tax on AI company stock, with the collected shares deposited into a public wealth fund. The bill targets “systemically important” AI companies, including those involved in data centers, infrastructure or robotics. Under the proposal, companies such as Google and SpaceX — where AI is only part of the business — could spin off non‑AI portions to avoid the tax.
That bill has not yet advanced to committee.
Why it matters
Altman’s 5% transfer idea and related proposals aim to reshape the relationship between tech companies and government: they could help build political goodwill, broaden public participation in AI’s economic gains, and potentially ease regulatory tensions. At the same time, legal, political and economic hurdles — especially any requirement for congressional approval — could hinder implementation.
For now the discussions are conceptual: key specifics, including legal mechanisms, the identity of the sovereign wealth fund, and the terms for other companies’ participation, remain to be defined.
