OpenAI: Sam Altman proposes 5% stake to the US government

Between the Tech giants, it’s a relentless war on all fronts. Innovations, market shares, and world conquest are the key words of this fierce competition. But the stability of a project depends on many parameters, and government support is an integral part of it. Sam Altman has just made a proposal that could redefine the rules of the game in the AI industry. An initiative that raises as many questions as it does enticing promises.

In Brief

• OpenAI has proposed to the U.S. government to transfer 5% of its capital, a stake valued at approximately $42.6 billion based on its current valuation of $852 billion.
• Sam Altman personally presented this offer to President Trump, as well as to Commerce and Treasury Secretaries, Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent, during preliminary discussions.
• The U.S. government has already taken strategic stakes in Intel (9.9%) and MP Materials (15%), which could set a precedent for the AI industry.
• Senator Bernie Sanders proposes a much more radical measure, requiring the largest AI companies to give up 50% of their shares to a public fund.

OpenAI offers $42.6 billion to the government for AI

OpenAI, whose IPO is valued at $852 billion, has proposed to transfer 5% of its capital to the U.S. government. The stake is valued at about $42.6 billion on the markets. Sam Altman presented this idea directly to Donald Trump, Howard Lutnick, and Scott Bessent.

The proposal comes amid increasing pressures on AI companies. The Trump administration recently delayed the deployment of GPT-5.6 and imposed export controls on Anthropic models.

Altman presents the offer as a way to democratize AI benefits, modeled on Alaska’s oil fund. The paradox is striking: the head of OpenAI proposes to share the wealth, but only after having faced government pressures. 

Does the displayed generosity hide a genuine appeasement strategy? The ethics of this approach question the true motivations of the company in this context.

A proposal that divides the AI world

Altman’s proposal is historic and unprecedented in the sector. It would be the first U.S. government stake in a private AI company. Yet it comes as the state already exerts control over the most advanced versions of artificial intelligence models.

Senator Bernie Sanders goes much further by proposing 50% ownership of the largest AI companies. Anthropic, on its side, refuses certain partnerships with the federal government.

The dialectic is troubling: Altman offers 5% perhaps to avoid having to give 50%. Does the promised democratization look like a pacification strategy? 

The antithesis is clear: on one side, a CEO who wants to share AI wealth. On the other, a senator who believes the people deserve half the profits. The war of numbers is now launched in the AI industry.

The US government, a new AI shareholder?

The U.S. government has already taken stakes in strategic companies such as Intel and MP Materials. The state’s entry into OpenAI’s capital could create a major precedent for the AI industry. 

Other countries might demand similar agreements from global tech giants. The IPOs of OpenAI and Anthropic, valued at over $1 trillion, could be transformed by this public participation. The government would then become a shareholder in the world’s largest AI company. 

The question of AI ownership and benefit distribution is more than ever at the heart of debates. Altman’s proposal may only be the beginning of a profound overhaul of the relationship between the state and AI giants.

Key figures of the proposal

• 5% of OpenAI’s capital offered to the government;
• $42.6 billion: value of the stake;
• $852 billion: valuation of OpenAI;
• 9.9% government stake in Intel;
• 50% proposed by Bernie Sanders for the AI giants.

Altman’s proposal marks a turning point in AI history. The rivalries between OpenAI and Anthropic no longer limit themselves to scientific research. Each company draws its dagger, ready to strike to defend their interests. The battle for AI control is just beginning.