Sanders to Unveil 50% AI Stock Tax for Public Fund
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 1
Sanders to Unveil 50% AI Stock Tax for Public Fund
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 1
Bernie Sanders said he will soon introduce the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would give the public an ownership stake in the largest U.S. AI companies.
The proposal would fund that stake through a one-time 50% tax paid in company stock rather than profits, targeting firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI.
Sanders argued generative AI was built on humanity’s collective books, art, journalism, code and research, and said tech companies used that material without permission, acknowledgment or compensation.
He framed the bill as a fight over who controls AI’s gains, saying the technology should benefit working families and society broadly rather than a handful of billionaires.
As AI giants plan IPOs, could a 50% stock tax for public ownership halt America's innovation race?
AI is built on our collective work. Will new laws finally force tech giants to pay for the data they use?
Public Wealth from Private AI: Inside Sanders’ 50% Stock Tax and the American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act
Overview
Senator Bernie Sanders' "American A.I. Sovereign Wealth Fund Act" proposes a one-time 50% tax on the stock of major U.S. AI companies, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI. Instead of paying cash, these companies would transfer their own stock to the government. This stock would then be used to create a publicly owned sovereign wealth fund, giving the public direct ownership in these leading AI firms. The fund is designed to operate for the benefit of all Americans, ensuring that the economic gains from advanced AI technologies are widely shared across society, not just concentrated among a few.