Trump proposes government equity stake fund for AI firms

President Donald Trump has announced a plan to explore having the U.S. government take equity stakes in leading artificial intelligence companies, a proposal he says could make the American public "very rich." The president made the remarks on June 10 at the signing of the Secure America Act, stating he would soon meet with top executives from the industry to discuss the concept.

Trump said he plans to meet with the top 12 to 15 AI executives "very shortly" to talk about "giving back something to the public." He described the AI industry as "bigger than any industry anyone's ever seen" and emphasized U.S. leadership over China in the field. While no formal invitations had been sent as of last week, the president confirmed the meeting is still planned. The proposal centers on creating a government-managed "Public Wealth Fund," where contributions from AI companies, potentially in the form of equity or dividends, would be channeled to benefit citizens. The administration has indicated the approach would involve traditional corporate equity models, not cryptocurrency or blockchain mechanisms.

This initiative fits within the broader framework of the Trump administration's AI Action...