Bernie Sanders proposes $7 trillion AI sovereign wealth fund

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced legislation that would impose a one‑time 50 % tax on the stock of the largest artificial‑intelligence companies once they reach $200 million in annual AI sales. The tax would transfer half of the ownership of those firms to a public sovereign‑wealth fund estimated at about $7 trillion.

The fund would be overseen by a seven‑member independent commission and would pay a 5 % annual dividend, delivering roughly $1,000 per American and directing earnings toward health care, education and housing. Sanders said the public must have “a significant seat at the table” to ensure AI benefits ordinary people.

The proposal has drawn interest from President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and echoes similar ideas floated by OpenAI and Anthropic about public stakes in AI‑driven growth.