Senator Bernie Sanders wants AI companies to share the wealth. Literally.
The independent senator from Vermont introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act on June 18, proposing a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock, on the largest US AI companies. The goal: build a sovereign wealth fund worth approximately $7 trillion that would send every American more than $1,000 per year.
How the fund would work
The government would collect equity stakes from top AI firms, pooling them into a massive public fund. That fund would then distribute a mandated 5% annual dividend directly to Americans.
At a projected fund size of roughly $7 trillion, the math pencils out to initial payouts exceeding $1,000 per person annually. Any revenue beyond the direct payments would flow into public programs covering healthcare, education, and housing.
