President Donald Trump revealed on Friday that he has been in discussions with artificial intelligence companies about potential arrangements that would allow the American public to share in the financial rewards of AI progress.

Although Trump did not name specific firms during his remarks, OpenAI appears to be a strong contender. This follows a CNBC report indicating that the Trump administration has been exploring the possibility of taking an equity stake in the AI developer. According to the report, part of that equity could be used to help fund a "Public Wealth Fund" that OpenAI recently proposed. The company envisions that earnings from this fund could be distributed to individuals, "allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth, regardless of their starting wealth or access to capital."

Bloomberg reported that when journalists aboard Air Force One questioned Trump about the concept, he responded that he has been engaging with AI leaders on "concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies."

According to Bloomberg, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been promoting the idea of government ownership stakes in major AI firms since early 2025. This aligns with Trump's broader interest in public ownership of for-profit enterprises, notably when the government acquired a 10% stake in the struggling chipmaker Intel last year. The concept has also gained traction on the political left. Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed a one-time 50% tax on companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI (a subsidiary of SpaceX), to be paid in stock. With these businesses potentially going public this year, Sanders argued that such a tax would "give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology" and "guarantee that the trillions of dollars potentially generated by A.I. are used to improve the lives of all of us."

David Sacks, an investor who recently left his position as Trump’s AI and crypto czar, commented that he understands why Sanders' proposal appeals to many, "including with many on the right." However, he cautioned that it could "accelerate the corporate-government fusion we’re already sliding toward."

On social media, former Microsoft employee Dare Obasanjo warned, "The groundwork is already being laid for a government bailout of OpenAI."