Trump says the US "might" take equity stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic, modeled on the Intel deal
In a TIME interview published Oct 1, Trump said the US government "might" take equity stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic — while ruling out nationalizing the AI labs.
What happened
In a TIME interview conducted at the White House on September 28 and published October 1, President Trump said the US government "might" take equity stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic, modeled on its Intel investment. "I might. Maybe I could do that," he said, adding "I have many deals like that."
Asked whether he would nationalize the frontier AI labs, Trump said no: "No, no." He said the only guardrail the labs need is the Justice Department.
The Intel precedent: in August 2025 the US took an $8.9 billion (9.9%) stake in Intel, with no board seat or governance rights. Trump claimed the investment made the government "$60 or $70 billion," providing no calculation.
Background: OpenAI reportedly offered Washington a 5% equity stake in July (per Financial Times); Anthropic and the administration denied discussing a stake. Neither company has commented on Trump's remark.
Why it matters
The remarks signal the administration could extend its government-equity investment model from semiconductors to frontier AI labs. A government stake in OpenAI or Anthropic would reshape the relationship between Washington and the companies building the most advanced AI systems.
Sources
- https://aistify.com/trump-us-government-stakes-openai-anthropic/
- https://madrobot.blog/2026/10/01/trump-time-interview-stake-openai-anthropic-intel-doj-guardrail-ai/
- https://www.tokenpost.com/news/regulation/26229
Verified 2026-10-02
Sources
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