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Sanders Bill Would Levy 50% Equity Tax on Large AI Firms

June 18, 2026 at 10:26 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Funding & M&A
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U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) has introduced the "American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act," which would impose a one-time 50% equity tax on large AI companies and use the resulting shares to create a government investment fund. Unveiled around June 17–18, 2026, the plan is unusual in requiring payment in stock rather than cash. Details

June 18, 2026 · Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

Should America Own Half of Big AI?

The "American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act" would impose a one-time 50% equity tax on large AI firms — paying the public in shares, not cash — and hand citizens ownership, voting rights and board seats.

50%

one-time equity tax, paid in shares

~$7T

estimated public fund size

$1,000+

per-citizen payout, year one

$200M

annual AI-revenue threshold

Who would own each AI company?

Half of the equity transfers to a public fund — split evenly with existing owners.

50%

Existing owners

50%

American public fund

How the money flows back

~$7T FUND

Public equity held by a 7-member independent commission

→

5% DIVIDEND

Assumed annual yield drawn from fund holdings

→

CITIZENS

$1,000+ per person; rest to health, education & housing

Supporters say

AI is a public resource. Freeing its profits from oligopoly and returning them to all Americans is a fair, Norway-style fix amid labor-market upheaval.

Critics say

Forced equity seizure looks like confiscation. OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI are private with no public shares — raising constitutional and practical hurdles.

Still early: the bill is at a formal introduction stage. Share-count increases (including employee pay) would also transfer 50%; AI and non-AI businesses would be separated, with the government acquiring shares only in the AI portion.

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