Trump Floats Government Stakes in AI Firms, Meeting Unclear

The White House has not yet scheduled a meeting with major AI companies that President Trump said could happen this week, according to three people familiar with policy discussions who spoke to POLITICO. The development comes after Trump floated the idea of a federal government partnership with the AI industry that would distribute profits to Americans.

Industry officials from major AI companies and trade groups say they have received no outreach from the administration beyond Trump's Friday remarks to reporters. When asked about plans to bring in AI executives, a Trump administration official said only that the White House "continues to proactively engage across government and industry."

Why it matters

The proposal represents a fundamental shift in how Washington might approach the AI industry's expected windfall. If implemented, it could give the federal government equity stakes in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic—a move that breaks with decades of Republican opposition to government ownership of private enterprise. The approach also carries risks: taxpayers could lose money if AI valuations collapse, and the government would gain influence over an industry known for rapid innovation and high-stakes risk-taking.

Strange political alignments

Trump's proposal has created unusual ideological overlap. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has introduced legislation for a sovereign wealth fund that would take a one-time 50 percent tax on top AI companies' stock and give the government voting shares and board representation. Sanders met last week with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to discuss the plan, which he intends to introduce "in a week or two."

OpenAI itself has proposed a similar sovereign wealth fund to redistribute AI profits. Chris Lehane, a top OpenAI executive, told reporters the company hoped its April proposal would spark broader conversation in Washington.

Sanders said Monday that Trump "understands that there's a lot of anxiety with regard to AI" and the concentration of wealth it could create, though the senator added he has no confidence Trump will "do the right thing."

Silicon Valley divided

The proposals have exposed a split within the tech industry. Some executives argue the government should invest in AI infrastructure—data centers, electricity, chip fabrication—rather than picking individual companies.

"Investing in OpenAI and Anthropic is stock picking," said AI investor Raj Gajwani. "Investing in data centers, electricity, regulatory relief, Intel chip fabrication—that's industrial policy, national security, and infrastructure build out, which makes a hell of a lot more sense."

Others see government stakes in leading companies as inevitable if taxpayers are sharing risk. One AI CEO, speaking anonymously, said it would be "a political nightmare if the U.S. lost money on the investment."

Industry groups have pushed back hard. Patrick Hedger of NetChoice warned the approach "mimics the socialist economic models of our adversaries" and would establish "an unprecedented bureaucratic chokehold on American innovation." The U.S. Chamber of Commerce noted that past government equity stakes came in response to national emergencies, were authorized by Congress, and included guardrails to limit government involvement.

Even AI safety advocates expressed concern. Nathan Calvin of Encode worried that if the government draws significant revenue from AI stakes, "it might be more hesitant to do something that promotes safety at the expense of near-term valuation."

These details were first reported by POLITICO.