OpenAI is considering handing a 5pc stake worth $43bn (£32bn) to the US government as part of plans to boost ties with Donald Trump, according to the Financial Times. Sam Altman, the ChatGPT maker’s chief executive, put forward the offer in recent discussions with the White House in anticipation of a $1tn stock market listing. OpenAI is currently valued at $852bn, meaning a 5pc stake would be worth $43bn, though it is targeting a valuation of $1tn in an upcoming New York flotation. Mr Trump has previously confirmed discussions with major AI companies about the US taxpayer obtaining stakes, calling it a “beautiful thing” that would make the public rich. The US government took a 10pc stake in Intel last year, worth $9bn then and now worth more than $60bn. Members of the Trump administration have proposed different handling methods: JD Vance said Mr Trump favours holding stakes in a sovereign wealth fund, while others suggested “Trump accounts” for children. Bernie Sanders has said the public should have a 50pc stake. The White House has become increasingly interventionist, blocking Anthropic’s most powerful systems and forcing OpenAI to limit model access amid competition from China.