CNBC · 2026-06-05 · major
CNBC: Trump White House and OpenAI in Active Talks Over a US Government Equity Stake to Seed a 'Public Wealth Fund' — Trump Confirms on Air Force One That 'Pieces Could Be Given to the American Public'
CNBC reports active US government equity-stake talks with OpenAI, structured to seed the Public Wealth Fund OpenAI proposed in April. Trump confirmed talks to reporters on Air Force One; no terms, size, or timeline.
CNBC says the White House and OpenAI are in active talks over a federal equity stake feeding OpenAI's proposed Public Wealth Fund.
Key specs
| Openai valuation | $850B |
|---|---|
| Originating outlet | CNBC |
| Trump confirm setting | Air Force One |
| Policy origin | OpenAI Public Wealth Fund proposal, April 2026 |
| Deal status | talks, no terms set |
What is it?
Per CNBC reporting, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and the Trump administration are in ongoing discussions over a US government equity position in OpenAI. The stake would seed the 'Public Wealth Fund' OpenAI floated in its April industrial-policy paper, distributing AI returns to American citizens.
How does it work?
OpenAI would donate equity to the federal government, which would hold it inside a long-term, diversified fund modeled on a sovereign wealth fund. CNBC says talks have been running for over a year; Trump told reporters on Air Force One that 'pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner.' No size, term sheet, or timeline has been set.
Why does it matter?
OpenAI is valued at over $850B by private investors and is preparing an IPO. A US government equity position in a frontier AI lab would be unprecedented in scale and would set a template that other labs would have to react to, on top of the Intel 10% federal stake the administration took in 2025.
Who is it for?
AI policy watchers, OpenAI investors, frontier-lab governance researchers
Try it
Read the CNBC original