OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the White House are in ongoing talks about a possible government stake in the artificial intelligence company, CNBC confirmed on Friday.
The discussions have been in progress for more than a year, as Altman first shared the idea with the Trump administration in 2025, according to a source familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the details are confidential.
The talks continued this week as Altman met with a range of lawmakers and officials in Washington, D.C., about regulation and the latest developments in AI.
As part of the potential agreement, OpenAI could donate equity to the U.S. government to seed something like the “Public Wealth Fund” that the company outlined in its April policy proposal, the person said.
OpenAI said the fund could “invest in diversified, long-term assets” and would allow citizens to participate in the “upside” of AI growth, possibly by receiving the fund’s returns directly, according to the proposal.
No official investment terms have been decided, and the details are still subject to change. Notus was first to report the recent talks.
President Donald Trump addressed the talks while on Air Force One with reporters on Friday.
“There are concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner,” he said.
The president said he is meeting with AI companies “in the very short, very near future.”
Trump signed an executive order in February calling for the federal government to establish a sovereign wealth fund.
The Trump administration has already taken stakes in Intel, International Business Machines and other quantum and critical mineral companies during the president’s second term.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. told CNBC that he and Altman discussed the concept of a sovereign wealth fund during their meeting on Wednesday.
OpenAI is valued at more than $850 billion by private investors, and the company is gearing up for an initial public offering as soon as this year. The company closed a record-breaking funding round in March that was co-led by MGX, which is backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund.
Tech companies like OpenAI have played a central role in shaping the White House’s positions on the nascent technology.
Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order asking AI companies to voluntarily provide the government access to their models for up to 30 days before their release. The order is thin on specific details, but executives from leading AI companies, including Altman, voiced their support on social media.
“The U.S. should lead on AI by continuing to develop the very best models, making sure they’re safe, and getting cyber tools into the hands of trusted defenders,” Altman wrote in a post on X. “The new EO gets the balance right.”
—CNBC’s Karen Sloan and Emily Wilkins contributed to this story.
