OpenAI Proposes 5% Equity Donation to U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has proposed donating 5% of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, according to a report by the Financial Times. The plan, which is still in early discussions, would see other AI firms contribute similar stakes, though details remain unclear. The proposal is meant to secure good relations with the administration and address political blowback, the report said. The idea of a public AI fund has also been publicly discussed by Altman, and OpenAI has grown increasingly specific in its proposals for how such a fund could be structured.

The Financial Times reported that the donation would be meant to 'secure good relations with the administration and … address political blowback.' Similar discussions were previously reported by CNBC in June and confirmed by President Trump, who said he had discussed 'concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.' At the time, no specific size for the proposed equity stake was given. The talks remain preliminary, and any formal action would likely require congressional approval, which would complicate the matter significantly.

OpenAI released a policy paper in April titled 'Industrial Policy for the Intelligence Age,' which proposed a public wealth fund that could invest directly in AI labs and companies deploying their technology. The document stated, 'Returns from the Fund could be distributed directly to citizens, allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth, regardless of their starting wealth or access to capital.' A more aggressive version of the policy was proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in June, calling for a one-time 50% tax on AI company stock, with the collected shares being deposited into a public wealth fund. The bill, called the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, would apply to all 'systemically important' AI companies, including those dealing with data centers, infrastructure, or robotics.

Source: techcrunch