OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has been in talks with officials in Washington about handing a slice of itself to the United States government, according to reporting surfaced across news aggregators including MSN and Google News.
The proposal centers on a 5 percent equity stake. Based on the company's estimated valuation, that share would be worth roughly $43 billion, according to the MSN report, which frames the move as coming ahead of a potential OpenAI initial public offering.
According to the Financial Times, as summarized by the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI), OpenAI proposed donating that 5 percent of its equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund — a government-run investment pool. The MSN item describes the discussions as involving chief executive Sam Altman and characterizes the gesture as a way to rival SpaceX, the Elon Musk–led company.
The available sources agree on the core figures — a 5 percent stake and a roughly $43 billion valuation — but offer limited detail beyond that. It is not stated in these items whether any agreement has been reached, on what terms, or how Washington has responded.
Why it matters: if a private artificial-intelligence company were to give a multibillion-dollar ownership stake to the government it is also regulated by, it would blur the usual line between industry and the state — raising fresh questions about influence, oversight, and who ultimately benefits as AI becomes a strategic national asset.