OpenAI Woos Trump Administration as Investor
The second Trump Administration has previously taken stakes in private companies. In August last year, the government obtained a 10% stake in Intel Corp. after investing $8.9 billion in the American chipmaker’s stock. It also took an equity stake in IBM and other quantum-computing companies.
How such a stake could benefit the public
The White House also did not immediately respond to TIME’s request for comment on the OpenAI proposal, though Trump has previously toyed with the idea of the U.S. government owning a stake in AI firms: “There’s something very interesting about it where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public.”
Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has also proposed legislation that would give the public a direct ownership stake in major U.S. AI firms through a one-time 50% tax on these companies’ stock. This stock would be deposited into a sovereign wealth fund.
In an April policy paper, OpenAI floated the concept of a “Public Wealth Fund” that “provides every citizen—including those not invested in financial markets—with a stake in AI-driven economic growth.” Returns from the fund, the company said, could be distributed directly to citizens.
