OpenAI Proposes 5% Share Donation Worth $42.6 Billion as Trump Weighs Public AI Stakes
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 21
OpenAI Proposes 5% Share Donation Worth $42.6 Billion as Trump Weighs Public AI Stakes
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 21
Summary
OpenAI has floated donating 5% of its shares to a public wealth fund, a stake worth about $42.6 billion at its latest $852 billion valuation.
Sam Altman’s proposal would let returns flow to citizens and is meant to ease fears over AI-driven job losses by giving the public a direct financial stake in the technology’s gains.
The idea fits a broader Trump administration push into government equity ownership: it has announced $26.7 billion of stakes in 30 companies and plans roughly $14 billion more through subsidized “Trump Accounts” for children by fiscal 2028.
If similar 5% stakes were taken in a dozen leading AI-linked tech companies, the resulting public fund could exceed $1 trillion, sharply expanding the government’s role as a shareholder.
Will a public wealth fund from A.I. shares truly distribute prosperity or just manage public fears about technology?
As the U.S. government buys stakes in private firms, is it building a stronger economy or distorting the market?
Sharing AI’s Wealth: OpenAI’s 5% Equity Offer and the Push for a U.S. Public AI Fund
Overview
In July 2026, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, proposed donating 5% of OpenAI’s equity to a U.S. government-run Public AI Fund. This move aims to secure better relations with the government and address growing political concerns about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. The proposal comes amid widespread public anxiety over AI’s impact, including fears of unemployment and the concentration of wealth and power. By offering a direct public stake, OpenAI hopes to share AI’s benefits more broadly and ease fears about the technology’s societal effects, while also navigating a complex political and regulatory landscape.