Trump tells TIME the US might take stakes in OpenAI, Anthropic
Asked why Washington holds a 10% Intel stake but nothing in frontier labs, Trump told TIME: "I might. Maybe I could do that."
President Donald Trump said the US government might take equity stakes in OpenAI and Anthropic, according to a TIME interview whose transcript was published on 1 October. Asked why the government held shares in Intel but not in frontier AI labs, Trump said: "I might. Maybe I could do that." He gave no timing and no mechanism.
Trump pointed to the Intel holding as the precedent. Of the 10% stake the government took in the chipmaker, he told TIME: "I think we made $60 billion." The Next Web reported the interview was held at the White House on 28 September. TIME published the full transcript three days later.
Trump also discussed Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei. He said Amodei's views were "much different, I think, than what is portrayed in the media." The Next Web reported that the two had dined with their families the night before the interview. Of the labs' leaders, Trump said: "I like Sam Altman. Smart."
The Next Web reported that OpenAI offered Washington a 5% stake in July, and that Anthropic and the administration denied discussing a stake in Anthropic. Neither company had commented in the reports we read. Trump also warned that AI agents breaching federal systems "could have penalties that are not going to be acceptable to them," the outlet said.