Sanders proposes public 50% AI stake via wealth fund

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation on Thursday, June 18, 2026, that would grant the American public a 50 percent ownership stake in the country's largest artificial intelligence companies. The proposal, called the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, represents the most aggressive plan to date to redistribute wealth from the rapidly expanding AI sector.

The bill would impose a one-time tax, paid in company stock rather than cash, on AI firms generating at least $200 million in annual AI-related revenue. The seized equity would be placed into a government-run sovereign wealth fund, which Sanders' office estimates could be worth nearly $7 trillion. An independent, bipartisan commission, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, would manage the fund and exercise the voting rights attached to its shares.

A central feature of the plan is the distribution of an estimated 5 percent annual dividend from the fund, which Sanders says could deliver direct payments of more than $1,000 to every eligible American each year. Additional gains would be directed toward public priorities like health care, education, and housing. Sanders argued that the foundational...