OpenAI proposes donating 5% of its equity to a US sovereign wealth fund
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed giving 5% of the company's equity to a US sovereign wealth fund to secure good relations with the administration and address political blowback. Discussions remain preliminary and may require congressional approval.
According to the Financial Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed donating 5% of the company's equity to a US sovereign wealth fund. Under the proposal, other AI companies would donate similar stakes, though many specifics remain unclear. The FT reported that the donation is meant to "secure good relations with the administration and… address political blowback."
Similar discussions were reported by CNBC in June and later confirmed by President Donald Trump, who said he had discussed concepts where pieces could be given to the American public. At that time, no specific equity stake size was given. The talks are still preliminary, and according to the FT, any formal action would likely require congressional approval, significantly complicating matters.
Altman has previously discussed the idea of a public AI fund publicly, and OpenAI has become increasingly specific in its proposals. In April, OpenAI released 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. The paper stated that returns from the fund could be distributed to citizens, allowing more people to benefit from AI-driven growth.
In June, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed a more aggressive version, calling for a one-time 50% tax on AI company stock, with the shares deposited into a public wealth fund. The bill, called the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, would apply to all systemically important AI companies. However, the bill has not yet advanced to committee.
