Bernie Sanders Unveils Bill Targeting AI Billions, Plans to Create $7 Trillion Sovereign Wealth Fund

On Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced legislation that would require major artificial intelligence companies to contribute a large portion of their stock to a government-run investment fund.

Sanders Proposes AI Sovereign Wealth Fund

Under the proposed American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, leading AI companies would pay a one-time tax equal to 50% of their stock into a federally managed sovereign wealth fund.

Sanders’ office estimates the fund could eventually grow to roughly $7 trillion.

The Vermont senator said the legislation is designed to ensure that the economic gains generated by AI are shared broadly rather than concentrated among a handful of technology companies and wealthy investors.

“The future of AI must not be decided behind closed doors by billionaires seeking to maximize their power and profit. It should be decided by the American people,” Sanders said in a post on X.

How Americans Could Receive $1,000 Annual Payments

According to a summary of the proposal, investment returns generated by the fund would be distributed to the public. Sanders’ office estimates that a 5% annual dividend could provide approximately $1,000 per year to every American.

The fund would be overseen by an independent seven-member commission whose members would be nominated through a congressional process and confirmed by the Senate.

The proposal would also bring new AI companies into the fund once they reach a specified size threshold, such as $200 million in annual revenue.

AI Industry And Trump Administration Interest

The legislation comes as discussions about public ownership of AI-generated wealth gain traction across the political spectrum.

The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering the possibility of the U.S. government taking stakes in leading AI companies, though the administration has not released a detailed proposal.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also reportedly met with Sanders to discuss the concept.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) President Brad Smith has expressed skepticism about government ownership. In an interview with Axios this week, “We’re not really interested in selling ourselves to any government.”

Sanders’ office said the proposal would also apply to the AI operations of major technology companies, potentially including firms such as Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA), Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Elon Musk-led SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX).

According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Nvidia ranks in the 98th percentile for growth, supported by strong price performance in medium-and long-term time frames but negative in the short term.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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