Trump Officials Weigh Stakes in AI Firms After Taking Equity in 24-Plus Companies
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13
Trump Officials Weigh Stakes in AI Firms After Taking Equity in 24-Plus Companies
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 13
Summary
Trump officials have discussed taking direct equity stakes in AI companies or using such shares to seed new Trump investment accounts for children, though no formal plan has been adopted.
More than two dozen government equity deals over the past year have expanded Washington’s reach into semiconductors, nuclear energy, minerals, quantum computing and steel, making AI a plausible next target.
OpenAI’s Sam Altman raised the idea in Washington last month, and both OpenAI and Anthropic have publicly floated sharing AI wealth with taxpayers through a model likened to Alaska’s Permanent Fund.
AI executives are weighing the political upside of broader public ownership against fears of added government pressure, especially after the administration recently took a heavier regulatory hand with Anthropic.
Those talks come as public concern grows that AI could cost jobs and raise energy use and environmental strain from data centers.
Could a public stake in A.I. create a national wealth fund, or will it become a tool for political influence?
As Washington buys into private firms, will American innovation be supercharged or shackled by government partnership?
Trump Administration Considers 5% Government Stake in OpenAI and Public Wealth Fund for AI-Driven Prosperity
Overview
The Trump administration is in active talks with leading AI companies, such as OpenAI, about the U.S. government acquiring equity stakes, building on earlier investments like the 10% stake in Intel made in 2025. OpenAI has proposed giving the government a 5% stake, and discussions now include creating a Public Wealth Fund to share AI-generated wealth with the public. These initiatives aim to address economic anxieties and ensure broader benefits from AI, but face legal, political, and industry challenges as details and support from other companies remain uncertain.