Breaking

Vance Says Trump Open to U.S. Taking Ownership Stakes in AI Firms

June 21, 2026 at 02:30 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Funding & M&A

Vice President JD Vance said on Steven Bartlett's podcast "The Diary of a CEO" that President Donald Trump is open to the U.S. government taking ownership stakes in major AI companies. Vance framed the idea as a way to return the profits of the AI boom to ordinary citizens, saying Trump "likes the idea." He emphasized an approach that distributes wealth through ownership rather than taxation, a point that drew attention.

Washington · AI Policy

The U.S. Government May Buy a Stake in Big AI

VP JD Vance says Trump is open to the federal government taking ownership in major AI firms — making the American public a "partner" via a sovereign wealth fund, to head off an AI-driven concentration of wealth.

10%

Stake the administration already took in Intel — the precedent

~$1,000

Annual public dividend envisioned under the rival Sanders bill

$200M+

AI revenue threshold for firms targeted by the Sanders plan

How big a stake? — proposals side by side

small

"Small stakes"

Trump / Vance — flexible equity via sovereign wealth fund

50%

private

50% to public

Sanders bill — one-time 50% equity tax

Two competing visions

Trump / Vance concept

Flexible equity via sovereign wealth fund
Targets major labs (OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI)
Benefit = shared ownership ("pre-distribution")
Policy idea stage

Sanders bill

Public ownership via 50% equity tax
Targets firms with AI revenue over $200M
Benefit = dividends ~$1,000/year
Bill introduced

The core argument

Vance frames AI's essential risk as the concentration of wealth — not job loss. Sharing ownership upfront, he argues, beats redistributing through taxes later.

Supporters say

Shared AI wealth could reduce inequality and stabilize society.

Critics say

Government ownership departs from free markets, inviting bureaucracy and political interference.

Stake size, amount and timing all remain undetermined — no negotiations or implementation confirmed. The policy is still fluid.

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