OpenAI proposes donating 5% of equity to US sovereign wealth fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed donating 5% of the company’s equity—representing an ownership interest in the company—to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, which is a state-owned investment fund. According to a report by the Financial Times on Thursday, which cited two people familiar with the matter, the preliminary proposal is intended to secure good relations with the administration and address political blowback. Under the reported plan, other artificial intelligence companies would also donate similar stakes, though significant questions remain regarding the specifics of the arrangement. Similar discussions regarding public equity partnerships were also reported by CNBC in June.

Any formal action on the proposal would likely require congressional approval, a factor that could significantly complicate its implementation. The discussions align with broader concepts previously mentioned by President Donald Trump, who in June noted discussions regarding ideas where pieces of these companies could be given to the American public, essentially making citizens partners in the enterprises. The concept of a public AI fund was also detailed in an April policy paper by OpenAI titled “Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age.” The document suggested that a state-owned fund could invest directly in AI labs and companies deploying their technology. According to the OpenAI policy paper, “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,” which would allow broader participation in the economic benefits of the technology.

This voluntary equity proposal stands in contrast to more aggressive legislative measures introduced in the U.S. Senate. In June, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which calls for a one-time 50% tax on AI company stock to fund a public wealth initiative. This proposed tax would apply to systemically important AI companies, including those operating in data centers, infrastructure, or robotics. Under Senator Sanders’ proposal, companies like Google and SpaceX, which do not focus exclusively on AI, would be permitted to spin off their non-AI business units to avoid the tax. The bill has not yet advanced to a congressional committee.

Why it matters

OpenAI’s proposal reflects a strategic attempt to navigate intense political scrutiny by aligning the company’s economic success with public participation, contrasting sharply with more punitive legislative tax proposals.