Public Backing Grows for Bernie Sanders’ AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Proposal

In June 2026, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, a bill that would impose a one-time 50 % tax on the stock of the United States’ largest artificial-intelligence companies and place the acquired equity into a publicly controlled sovereign wealth fund. The legislation would give every American a direct ownership stake in those firms and grant the government voting shares and board representation to influence corporate decisions.

AI wealth fund proposal wins major support as corporate trust collapsesGizmodoMost Americans now want the government to seize half of AI companies' equity69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo FinanceCNBC

The proposal emerges amid a wave of layoffs across the tech sector despite record corporate profits and expanding AI capital expenditures. Polling firms Verasight and VeraSite conducted a nationwide survey of 1,690 adults in June 2026, capturing growing worker frustration over job security while AI investments surge. The political climate is unusually bipartisan, with the idea gaining attention beyond Sanders’ progressive base.

69% of Americans Support Bill Requiring AI Firms to Transfer 50% of Stock to Sovereign Wealth Fund

• 69 % of respondents support “forcing” AI firms to transfer half of their stock to a public fund.

Gizmodo

• Support rises to 64 % when the question explicitly mentions Sanders, while “strongly support” climbs by 3 percentage points.

Gizmodo

• 21 % strongly support the plan; 48 % somewhat support it.

Gizmodo

• 32 % oppose (12 % strongly, 20 % somewhat).

Gizmodo

• Goldman Sachs estimates that 15 million U.S. workers—about 9 % of the labor force—could be displaced over a ten-year AI transition.

AI Layoff Wave Stirs Public Outrage: Nearly 70% of Americans Support Forcing Tech Giants to Release Half Their Equity — BigGo Finance

Proponents argue the fund would redistribute AI-generated wealth, provide a universal dividend (estimated at roughly $1,000 per adult), and give the public a tool to curb corporate actions deemed harmful. At the same time, the fund could finance national AI infrastructure, capture equity gains for the treasury, and shape strategic technology development. Critics warn that the dual financial-strategic mandate may create conflicts, especially when the most profitable investments are foreign AI firms.

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo FinanceAI Layoff Wave Stirs Public Outrage: Nearly 70% of Americans Support Forcing Tech Giants to Release Half Their Equity — BigGo FinanceCNBC69% of Americans Support Bill Requiring AI Firms to Transfer 50% of Stock to Sovereign Wealth Fund

• Bernie Sanders framed the bill as a safeguard against wealth concentration, stating the legislation would ensure AI benefits improve “all of our lives—not simply to make the richest people in the world even richer.”

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo Finance

• Benjamin Leff, CEO of Verasight, described the public’s view of an AI sovereign fund as a mechanism to “redistribute the gains from the AI industry back to broader society.”

CNBC

• Joseph Briggs, senior global economist at Goldman Sachs, warned the transition could trigger an “automation and reallocation shock” comparable to the late-1990s tech upheaval, though he expects the losses to be temporary as new jobs emerge.

CNBC

• The research organization Windfall Trust highlighted the inherent tension between maximizing returns for citizens and advancing national AI capabilities.

AI Layoff Wave Stirs Public Outrage: Nearly 70% of Americans Support Forcing Tech Giants to Release Half Their Equity — BigGo Finance

Opponents caution that a forced 50 % equity transfer would dilute existing shareholders, potentially violate property-rights protections, and complicate corporate governance. The bill faces steep legislative hurdles in a Republican-controlled Congress, and no timeline for passage has been outlined. Some analysts question whether a public fund could effectively balance profit motives with strategic national security goals, especially when lucrative opportunities lie abroad.

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo Finance

The poll’s support level varies slightly depending on whether Sanders’ name is mentioned (69 % vs. 64 %). No detailed breakdown is provided on which AI companies would be subject to the tax, nor on how the independent bipartisan commission would be structured or funded beyond the projected $7 trillion valuation.

Most Americans now want the government to seize half of AI companies' equity

• “This legislation would give the public a direct ownership stake in the largest AI companies in America through a one time 50% tax, not on profits, but on stock.” — Bernie Sanders, Senator

Gizmodo

• “The federal government would have the power, through its voting shares and an equal representation on each company’s board, to block decisions that hurt our citizens and to push for policies that help them,” — Bernie Sanders, Senator

Gizmodo

• “In the eyes of the public, AI Sovereign funds are seen as a tool to distribute the gains from the AI industry back to broader society,” — Benjamin Leff, CEO, Verasight

CNBC

• “The future of AI and the fate of humanity must not be decided behind closed doors in Silicon Valley by billionaires seeking to maximize their power and profit.” — Bernie Sanders, Senator

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo Finance

• “tension between the financial mandate (maximize returns for citizens) and the strategic mandate (build national AI capacity, maintain influence over frontier systems).” — Windfall Trust

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo Finance

• “would be the type of automation and reallocation shock that we saw in the late '90s and early 2000s and in other periods of significant technological change,” — Joseph Briggs, Senior Global Economist, Goldman Sachs

CNBC

The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act remains a proposal; it must clear extensive congressional and legal hurdles before any stock transfer can occur. Continued public polling and ongoing tech-sector layoffs are likely to keep the issue prominent in upcoming policy debates.

69% of Americans Want a 50% Public Stake in AI Giants as Job Cut Anxiety Mounts — BigGo Finance