OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research company, offered the U.S. government a 5% non-voting stake in its for-profit subsidiary in 2019, according to a report from the Financial Times. The proposal was detailed by Chris Clark, the company’s former head of strategic initiatives, who said the offer was made to the Treasury Department during the Trump administration.
The offer occurred as OpenAI transitioned from a non-profit organization to a “capped-profit” structure with the creation of a new commercial entity, OpenAI Global LLC. According to Clark’s statements to the Financial Times, the proposed stake was intended to provide the U.S. government with a direct interest in the successful and safe development of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The proposed equity was described as a “non-voting, non-controlling interest,” meaning the government would not have had influence over the company’s operations or board decisions. In the interview, Clark explained the rationale was to create an alignment between the company’s goals and national interests, giving the government a share in the potential economic benefits of advanced AI.
This proposal was part of the formation of the company’s unique corporate structure. OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a non-profit research laboratory with the stated mission of ensuring that AGI benefits all of humanity. The 2019 restructuring was designed to secure the large-scale capital needed for advanced AI research while retaining the original non-profit’s mission. The for-profit subsidiary operates under the control of the non-profit parent organization.
According to the report, the U.S. Treasury Department did not act on the proposal, and the offer was not accepted. Neither OpenAI nor the Treasury Department has issued a public statement regarding the matter following the Financial Times report. The details of the 2019 offer provide new context for the ongoing relationship between leading AI developers and government bodies, which are increasingly focused on the technology’s economic implications and national security considerations.
