Financial Times: OpenAI urges government to hold 5% stake, tying public and private interests

(San Francisco, July 1st, CNA Foreign News) The British "Financial Times", citing sources familiar with the matter, revealed that artificial intelligence startup OpenAI has proposed to transfer a 5% stake to the U.S. government, hoping to tie its financial interests to the Trump administration and clear potential political obstacles for the company.

OpenAI completed a record-breaking funding round in March this year, with its post-investment valuation (the total market value after the company raised this new capital) soaring to $852 billion; calculated at this rate, a 5% stake in OpenAI is worth approximately $42.6 billion.

According to two individuals familiar with the discussions, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes that allowing the public to share in the company's financial interests is the best way to share the dividends of artificial intelligence (AI) development; he proposed the idea of approximately a 5% stake during preliminary discussions with the government.

The Financial Times pointed out that having the government hold a stake in the company would help OpenAI maintain relations with the Trump administration, while also allowing the public to share in the wealth brought by AI, thereby mitigating growing political backlash against the AI industry. As concerns grow among the American public and politicians about the construction of large data centers and the impact of AI on employment and cybersecurity, AI development in the U.S. environment faces increasing resistance.

Both OpenAI and its biggest rival Anthropic have faced delays in their plans to launch advanced AI models due to U.S. government review; furthermore, some Republicans and Trump's advisors advocate for stricter regulation of the AI industry. Currently, both OpenAI and Anthropic are preparing for their initial public offerings (IPOs).

Altman's idea is for AI companies to transfer a certain percentage of their equity to the government through a sovereign wealth fund mechanism; other companies mentioned include Anthropic, Google, and Meta, and it is unclear whether these companies are willing to follow OpenAI's proposal.

CNBC financial news network pointed out that the Trump administration has previously held stakes in private companies. During his second term, the administration invested in Intel, IBM, and other quantum technology and critical minerals companies.

The U.S. government invested $8.9 billion in Intel common stock in August last year, acquiring a 10% stake in the company; Trump stated in May this year that he should have demanded a higher shareholding ratio at the time. (Compiled by: Chen Yi-wei) 1150702

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