US Government Plans Equity Stakes in Major AI Companies

President Donald Trump announced that the United States federal government is exploring the acquisition of equity stakes in leading artificial‑intelligence firms. He said the shares could be offered to the American public, making households "essentially a partner" of the companies.

The proposal follows meetings with OpenAI chief Sam Altman and builds on a bill introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders that would allow a sovereign wealth fund to take up to 50% of firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI, with any profits distributed to families. The plan is part of a broader "America First" industrial strategy that already includes government stakes in semiconductor and quantum‑computing companies.