It seems like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has learned a lesson from Intel. If you want the Trump administration to back off your company, simply provide them with an ownership stake in it.
According to a new report from the Financial Times, OpenAI, which is currently valued at $854 billion, is currently in early talks to give the U.S. government a five percent stake in the company. OpenAI CEO Altman has reportedly discussed the stake buy-in as a way to ease political pressure from Trump and his administration, according to the Financial Times report, which also states Altman has reportedly argued that doing so will also “share the upside of AI” with the public.
The White House has increasingly involved itself in matters related to the release of new AI models in recent months. The Trump administration reportedly requested that OpenAI stagger its future AI model releases, starting with the upcoming GPT 5.6. The U.S. government wants OpenAI to first release new AI models to a select group of close partners before any public launches.
Last month, the Trump administration forced OpenAI competitor Anthropic to remove its powerful new Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 AI models from public use. The administration issued an export control directive ordering a ban on foreign nationals using the models. To comply with the government order, Anthropic suspended the models entirely.
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The Trump administration lifted the order on Wednesday following negotiations with Anthropic, allowing the company to make the models available to the public again. Anthropic reportedly agreed to work with the U.S. government on future AI model releases.
Anthropic and the Trump administration have openly feuded before regarding the use of AI models. Earlier this year, the Trump administration designated Anthropic a “supply-chain risk” to national security after disagreements arose over how the U.S. government could use Anthropic’s AI models.
OpenAI is likely seeking to avoid similar confrontations with the U.S. government as it prepares to go public in the near future.
Last summer, President Donald Trump openly called for the resignation of Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. However, Trump seemingly backed off after the U.S. government took a 10 percent stake in the chipmaker.
