President Donald Trump said his administration is considering whether the American public should receive a financial stake in major artificial intelligence companies, a proposal that would mark a dramatic shift in how Washington approaches one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on June 5, Trump said the idea is still under review but described it as “interesting,” arguing that Americans could potentially benefit directly from the success of AI firms.
“There’s something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public,” Trump said, according to Reuters.
The comments came after reports that senior U.S. officials had held early-stage discussions with major AI companies about whether the federal government could acquire shares in those firms. Reuters reported that the conversations remain preliminary and that the idea may involve voluntary share transfers or other structures that would allow the public to benefit financially from AI growth.
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Trump said he has spoken with AI companies and that his administration plans to meet with industry leaders in the near future. He framed the proposal as a way for ordinary Americans to share in the upside of a technology that could generate enormous profits while reshaping the economy.
The idea reflects a broader debate over who should benefit from AI. Supporters of public ownership models argue that AI could become so economically powerful that its gains should not flow only to investors, founders and large technology companies. Critics argue that government equity stakes could blur the line between public oversight and political control of private industry.
Sen. Bernie Sanders has advanced a more aggressive version of the concept. In a June 1 op-ed, Sanders said the public should own half of the largest AI companies through a sovereign wealth fund funded by company stock. He said he plans to introduce legislation requiring major AI firms to transfer 50% of their equity into a public fund so the gains from AI can be used to benefit Americans broadly.
Trump did not endorse Sanders’ exact plan, but he acknowledged that he and Sanders sometimes overlap on economic themes. He said some voters who supported Sanders later supported him, suggesting that both tapped into frustration over whether major economic gains are reaching ordinary Americans.
The proposal also fits a wider pattern in Trump’s second-term industrial policy. His administration has shown more willingness to take equity stakes or profit-sharing arrangements in industries considered important to national security, including quantum computing and strategic technologies. Reuters reported in May that the administration planned to take equity stakes across several quantum computing firms as part of a broader effort to secure U.S. technological leadership.
AI has become a central national security and economic priority for Washington. The U.S. is competing with China for leadership in frontier AI, while policymakers worry about job displacement, cybersecurity threats, misinformation and the concentration of wealth in a small number of powerful firms.
Trump signed an AI executive order earlier this week that asks developers of advanced AI models to voluntarily submit their systems for government cybersecurity review before public release. The White House said the order is intended to promote innovation and security while working with the private sector to protect American technology and strengthen national capabilities.
Sanders praised Trump for acknowledging that AI poses real risks but criticized the executive order as too weak because participation is voluntary. He argued that Congress must act to create stronger protections and ensure that the economic benefits of AI are shared more widely.
The ownership proposal raises major practical questions. It is unclear which companies would be included, whether public stakes would be voluntary or mandatory, how shares would be valued, who would manage them, and whether profits would go into a sovereign wealth fund, dividend program, deficit reduction or public investment.
There are also legal and political questions. A federal stake in AI companies could raise concerns about favoritism, conflicts of interest and whether government officials might pressure companies in which the public holds shares. On the other hand, supporters could argue that taxpayers already support the technology ecosystem through research funding, defense contracts, energy infrastructure and national security partnerships.
AI companies have not publicly agreed to such a structure. Reuters reported that the White House and major AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and SpaceX did not immediately comment on the early discussions.
The proposal is likely to draw criticism from free-market conservatives, who may see government ownership as an unnecessary intervention in private industry. It may also divide Democrats, with some progressives welcoming public ownership while others worry about how a Trump administration would manage stakes in powerful technology firms.
Still, the fact that Trump is publicly discussing the idea shows how much the politics of technology have changed. AI is no longer being treated only as a private-sector innovation story. It is increasingly being viewed as a national asset, a security challenge and a potential source of public wealth.
For now, the proposal remains exploratory. But if the administration moves forward, it could become one of the most unusual economic policy debates of Trump’s second term: whether the American public should own a piece of the AI boom.
Why It Matters
The idea matters because it would represent a major change in the relationship between the federal government and the technology industry. Instead of simply regulating AI companies or funding research, Washington could seek a direct financial stake in their success.
It also matters because AI is expected to create enormous wealth while disrupting jobs and industries. The debate over public ownership reflects a larger question: whether the gains from AI should be concentrated among private investors or shared more broadly with the public.
What Comes Next
Trump said his administration plans to meet with major AI companies soon to discuss the idea. Any formal proposal would likely face intense debate in Congress, the tech industry and financial markets.
Sanders is also expected to introduce legislation creating an AI sovereign wealth fund, which could push the issue further into national politics even if Trump’s version remains less defined.
Trump told reporters that his administration is looking at whether the American public could benefit from equity stakes in major AI companies.
Trump says he’s interested in the government taking equity stakes in the giant AI companies like OpenAI or Anthropic: “There’s something very interesting about it, where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public. The American people can benefit from the success of… pic.twitter.com/Wcy5RbbJ78
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 5, 2026
