Overview
- Sen. Bernie Sanders announced in early June 2026 that he will introduce the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act to impose a one-time 50 percent tax on large AI companies payable in stock.
- Sanders says the stock levy would create a federal fund that holds voting shares and equal board representation so the government can block decisions it deems harmful and push preferred policies.
- The proposal has no public legislative text yet and Treasury and Commerce have not commented, leaving key details on valuation, which companies qualify, and governance unresolved.
- Critics say the plan misunderstands international models because Norway’s and Alaska’s funds were built from public resource revenue rather than by taking private stock, and they warn government ownership could erode regulator neutrality and slow innovation.
- Analysts trace Sanders’s move to the Trump administration’s February 2025 executive order and its reported equity stakes and special shares in firms, and they expect legal, political, and procedural fights if the bill advances.