Sanders Bill Would Tax 50% of AI Firms' Stock to Build $7 Trillion State Fund

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on June 18, 2026 introduced the "American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act" in the Senate, which would impose a one-time levy transferring 50% of major AI companies' equity to the federal government and create an estimated $7 trillion "American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund." The fund's annual 5% payout of roughly $350 billion would go toward direct cash distributions to citizens and public investment, and the proposal has drawn sharply divided reactions since its release.