Anthropic and OpenAI are proposing ways for ordinary people to share in the wealth created by advanced artificial intelligence. Anthropic announced a share-based public benefit fund on October 18, while OpenAI has proposed a public wealth fund. The plans come as AI companies prepare for major growth and possible public offerings.
Anthropic commits five percent
Anthropic plans to place 5% of its shares into a new Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, pending stockholder approval. The company said its board could add another 2% for every 50% increase in Anthropic’s value above a set baseline, although those additional grants would be discretionary. (Anthropic announcement)
Anthropic said the fund will be a wholly owned limited liability company rather than a 501(c)(3) organization. It could support large donations, direct distributions to specific populations, and research into the effects of AI on workers. The company also said earlier founder and employee commitments mean roughly 20% of its shares could eventually be dedicated to public-benefit efforts.
OpenAI proposes public ownership
OpenAI has proposed a different approach. In an April policy paper, the company called for a Public Wealth Fund that would give every citizen a stake in AI-driven economic growth, including people who do not own investments. The proposal says the fund could invest in AI companies and other businesses that use the technology, then distribute returns to citizens. (OpenAI policy paper)
Public benefit remains undefined
Neither proposal would make direct payments to the public today. Anthropic has not yet released the fund’s full governance plan, valuation milestones, or rules for choosing beneficiaries. Its initial share transfer also requires stockholder approval.
Anthropic said it plans to publish more details in the coming months. OpenAI’s proposal would require cooperation between companies and policymakers to determine how the fund would be created and financed.
References
Associated Press. (2026, October 20). Ahead of massive IPOs, AI companies are sketching plans to share their wealth. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/fc16c0ff997c8334dcd71e65d726aadc
Anthropic. (2026, October 18). Investing in the public benefit. https://www.anthropic.com/news/public-benefit-fund
OpenAI. (2026, April). Industrial policy for the intelligence age. https://cdn.openai.com/pdf/561e7512-253e-424b-9734-ef4098440601/Industrial%20Policy%20for%20the%20Intelligence%20Age.pdf