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Sam Altman Pitches Sovereign AI Wealth Fund With 5% OpenAI Equity

The Editor

The Editor

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Sam Altman Pitches Sovereign AI Wealth Fund With 5% OpenAI Equity
Sam Altman Pitches Sovereign AI Wealth Fund With 5% OpenAI Equity

OpenAI has held discussions with the U.S. administration about transferring around 5% of its shares to a public investment vehicle modeled on sovereign wealth funds such as the Alaska Permanent Fund, with the aim of allowing citizens to directly share in the economic upside from artificial intelligence. With a reported post‑money valuation of 852 billion dollars after its March funding round, that stake would be worth about 42.6 billion dollars, making even a minority holding highly significant for the federal balance sheet.

The idea is part of a broader scheme under which other leading U.S. AI developers — including Anthropic, Google and Meta — would also contribute roughly 5% of their equity to the same public fund, although none of these companies has publicly endorsed the plan and the vehicle’s exact structure remains undefined. Any such transfer of stock would, according to reports, require approval from Congress, adding political and legal complexity to the process.

In parallel, Senator Bernie Sanders is pushing a far more sweeping proposal: the creation of an AI sovereign wealth fund financed by a one‑time transfer of 50% of the equity of the largest AI firms to the federal government, under the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, to secure direct public ownership in the industry. This initiative increases legislative pressure on any voluntary arrangements that companies like OpenAI may try to negotiate with the White House.

Beyond the headline numbers, practical questions remain about how to reconcile the government’s role as regulator and shareholder, the impact on future IPOs and valuations, and the mechanisms through which dividends or returns would actually reach citizens. These talks are unfolding amid heightened scrutiny of AI, as the White House has issued new guidance on the use and procurement of AI systems and is weighing pre‑release review mechanisms for advanced models, strengthening its bargaining position with the tech sector.

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