The Trump administration and Anthropic have not discussed the U.S. government taking an ownership stake in the artificial intelligence company, according to a person familiar with the matter, pushing back against speculation that Washington could seek equity in major AI firms as oversight of frontier models grows.
The Trump administration and Anthropic have not discussed the government taking stakes in the firm, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Denial Follows OpenAI Stake Report
The statement came after a separate report raised questions about whether other major AI companies could face similar discussions with Washington.
Reuters reported that OpenAI had discussed giving the U.S. government a 5% stake, prompting questions about whether other AI firms were having such talks.
The Next Web reported that the denial came hours after a report that OpenAI had proposed giving Washington 5% of the company. The proposed OpenAI stake would be worth roughly $42.6 billion based on the company’s $852 billion valuation from its March funding round.
The distinction matters. A proposal involving OpenAI does not automatically mean Anthropic has accepted, discussed or negotiated a similar arrangement. Naming Anthropic in a hypothetical structure is not the same as the company agreeing to join it.
Anthropic Declines Comment as Agencies Stay Silent
The denial is still limited because it comes from an unnamed source, not a formal statement from all parties. The White House and the Commerce Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while Anthropic declined to comment. Anthropic declined to comment when Reuters asked directly, and that the White House and Commerce Department did not immediately respond.
That leaves the issue politically sensitive. Anthropic is one of the leading frontier AI companies, and any government equity discussion would raise questions about competition, national security, public benefit and the future relationship between Washington and the private AI industry.
AI Valuations and Public Benefit Under Scrutiny
The government-stake debate is tied to growing concern over whether ordinary Americans will benefit from the enormous value being created by AI. AI companies are facing scrutiny in Washington over the likely misuse of advanced models and whether Americans would benefit from the industry’s massive valuations.
The structure under discussion for OpenAI would involve donating shares into a public wealth fund modelled loosely on Alaska’s Permanent Fund. OpenAI first floated the idea in an April policy paper, while Sam Altman had reportedly been raising some version of it with the administration since early 2025.
President Donald Trump has also publicly entertained the idea of public participation in AI wealth. Trump said last month he was exploring options to give the public a stake in leading AI companies. Trump described the idea as potentially “a beautiful thing” that would make Americans “partners in this revolution”.
Export Controls Add to Anthropic’s Washington Pressure
Anthropic is already involved in a separate AI oversight debate. The Commerce Department lifted export controls in June on two of Anthropic’s most advanced models, after restrictions were imposed weeks earlier over concerns that the powerful tools lacked adequate safeguards to prevent misuse. Commerce Department officials lifted export controls on two of Anthropic’s most advanced models after earlier restrictions over concerns about inadequate safeguards.
Washington’s broader concern is national security. The U.S. has stepped up oversight of new model releases amid concerns advanced AI could be misused by military intelligence in China, Russia or other countries of concern, though submitting new models for review remains voluntary.
Sanders Pushes a More Aggressive AI Wealth Plan
The public-stake idea also has a more forceful version in Congress. Senator Bernie Sanders proposed using the tax system to capture a share of AI-driven wealth, requiring large firms to give the government a 50% ownership stake and board representation. Sanders’ proposal would impose a one-time 50% stock tax on large AI companies, with proceeds flowing into a public fund his office estimates could eventually reach $7 trillion.
For now, Anthropic appears outside any direct government equity discussion. But the denial does not end the larger policy fight. As AI labs grow more valuable and their models become more powerful, Washington is increasingly asking not only how to regulate AI, but also who should benefit financially from the technology’s rise.
