Trump Confirms US Plans to Acquire Stakes in AI Firms Like OpenAI

The US government is actively exploring the unprecedented step of acquiring equity stakes in leading artificial intelligence companies, President Donald Trump has confirmed, with OpenAI identified as a primary candidate. Trump told reporters on Friday that he would convene a meeting at the White House with “all of the companies” as early as next week to discuss what he described as something “very interesting … where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public.”

The idea, which first surfaced last year, was pitched directly to the president by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who has long advocated for a public fund to distribute wealth generated by advanced AI. According to internal discussions cited by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by Russian business daily Kommersant, senior administration officials have been weighing the mechanics of such a move, which could see the government receive equity in exchange for policy support or licensing agreements. Viewed from Washington, the proposal marks a radical departure from traditional US laissez-faire tech policy, and comes at a time of growing public unease over the concentration of AI power. The departure of Sriram Krishnan, a key White House adviser on AI, announced on Saturday without explanation, adds further uncertainty to the administration’s tech policy trajectory, as reported by Mexican newspaper La Jornada.

International diplomatic and media circles have taken note of the potential shift. Iranian economic daily Donya-e Eqtesad outlined how a possible stake in OpenAI could become a model, while The Hindu in India highlighted Trump’s characterisation of the arrangement as akin to a citizen dividend. The concept echoes sovereign wealth fund models more common in the Gulf or Asia, but its application to the frontier of American technology raises complex questions about governance, national security, and market competition. Analysts in London suggest that such a move could be intended to pre-empt more stringent regulatory proposals from Congress by giving the public a literal share in AI’s success.

Yet serious obstacles remain. There is no legal framework for such equity participation, and critics from both the libertarian right and the antitrust left have voiced scepticism. Krishnan’s resignation – though unexplained – may signal internal friction over the balance between innovation and state involvement. Moreover, if the government becomes a shareholder, it would face inherent conflicts of interest when regulating the same firms. Looking ahead, next week’s White House meeting will test whether tech executives share Altman’s enthusiasm, and whether a concept dismissed as fanciful just months ago can survive the bruising realities of American political economy.