President Donald Trump said on Friday he has been speaking with leaders of artificial‑intelligence companies about arrangements that would let ordinary Americans benefit from the sector’s rapid growth. Though he stopped short of naming a specific firm, multiple outlets have linked the comments to OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

CNBC reported that officials from the Trump administration have begun informal discussions with OpenAI about the possibility of the government acquiring an equity stake. The proposed stake could be used to seed a “Public Wealth Fund” that OpenAI has floated. According to the company, the fund would collect proceeds from the equity and distribute them directly to citizens, giving people a share of AI‑driven wealth regardless of their personal capital or access to investment markets.

Bloomberg added that when reporters asked the president aboard Air Force One, he described the idea as “pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.” The president’s remarks echo a broader push for government ownership of for‑profit enterprises, a stance he has pursued before, most notably with the federal government taking a 10 % stake in struggling chipmaker Intel last year.

OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, has reportedly been discussing a government stake in major AI firms since early 2025. Altman’s vision aligns with the public‑wealth model, which would turn future IPO proceeds into a direct dividend for U.S. taxpayers.

The proposal has also found allies on the political left. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation this week that would impose a one‑time, 50 % tax on companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI (the AI arm of SpaceX). The tax would be paid in stock, effectively handing a substantial ownership share to the public. Sanders argues the measure would “give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology” and ensure that the trillions of dollars projected from AI development are used to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.

Investor David Sacks, who recently stepped down as Trump’s AI and crypto czar, warned that while the idea resonates across the aisle, it could accelerate a “corporate‑government fusion” that he sees as already unfolding. Sacks, now co‑chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said the partnership could blur the line between public policy and private profit.

Other commentators have noted the groundwork for a potential government bailout of OpenAI. Former Microsoft employee Dare Obasanjo tweeted that the discussions signal a “government bailout of OpenAI” in the making, suggesting that the administration is preparing for a scenario in which public funds would support the company’s continued growth.

As AI firms gear up for possible public listings later this year, the notion of a government equity stake has moved from speculative talk to a concrete policy conversation. Whether the White House will formalize an investment, and how Congress might respond to the idea of a public wealth fund, remain open questions. For now, the dialogue underscores a growing consensus that AI’s economic upside should not be confined to shareholders alone.

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