The AI Wealth Fund Revolution: Why 69% of Americans Now Want to Seize Half of Big Tech

 

The AI Wealth Fund Revolution: Why 69% of Americans Now Want to Seize Half of Big Tech

## As tech layoffs surge past 100,000 and corporate profits soar, a radical proposal to give the public a 50% stake in AI companies has gone from fringe idea to mainstream demand.

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### Introduction: The Tipping Point

An idea that sounded radical just a year ago is now a majority position. Nearly seven in ten Americans support forcing the largest AI companies to transfer half their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund, according to a new national survey. The proposal, which would give the public a direct financial stake in the growth of the AI industry, has moved from the fringe of political discourse to the center of a growing national debate about who should benefit from the AI revolution.

The catalyst is brutally simple: **record tech layoffs occurring alongside record corporate profits**.

The survey of 1,690 U.S. adults by research firm Verasight, conducted in June and published in July 2026, found that 69% of Americans now support "forcing" AI firms to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund. The proposal is not hypothetical. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act in June, which would give the public a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies.

"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," said Benjamin Leff, CEO of Verasight.

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### The Numbers That Matter: A Crisis of Confidence

**69%** — Percentage of Americans supporting forced transfer of 50% of AI company stock to a public sovereign wealth fund

**1,690** — Number of U.S. adults surveyed by Verasight in June 2026

**101,743** — AI-linked job cuts announced in the U.S. so far in 2026

**23%** — Share of all U.S. job cuts attributed to AI in 2026

**15 million** — Goldman Sachs estimate of workers who could lose jobs during a 10-year AI transition period

**$7 trillion** — Estimated size of the proposed AI Sovereign Wealth Fund

**139,156** — Total tech sector job cuts announced in the first half of 2026, an 83% increase from the same period in 2025

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### The Tech Layoff Tsunami

The rising number of tech layoffs in the U.S. has left many workers frustrated and worried over job security, as corporations continue to ramp up capital expenditure for AI expansion. The numbers tell a stark story:

In the first half of 2026, the tech sector accounted for nearly a third of all U.S. layoffs. The technology sector announced 15,503 job cuts in June alone, bringing the total to 139,156 for the year—an increase of 83% from the 76,214 cuts announced through June 2025.

AI has increasingly been a major driver of U.S. layoffs, ranking as the top reason for job cuts for a fourth consecutive month in June. It has been cited in 101,743 job cut announcements so far this year, accounting for about 23% of all cuts.

The aggregate is stark. The AI-cited cuts tracked on TechCrunch's June 2026 running list total more than 75,000 positions, with May 2026 logging the highest single-month layoff total in years.

**The disconnect is impossible to ignore**: companies are reporting record profits, spending billions on AI infrastructure, and laying off workers at the same time. As one industry observer put it, "tech accounted for close to a third of US layoffs in the first half of 2026, and AI is increasingly named as the reason. Meanwhile, the same firms raising their AI capital spending".

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### The Sanders Proposal: A $7 Trillion Bet on the Public

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act in June, which would give the public a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies. Sanders has pitched it as a roughly $7 trillion fund.

"It would guarantee that the economic benefits generated by AI are used to improve the lives of all of us — not simply to make the richest people in the world even richer," Sanders said in a statement last month.

"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," Sanders said.

The argument is that the public paid for the research and the infrastructure, so the public should share the returns. Senator Ed Markey's recent AI Accountability Agenda lists "sharing the AI wealth" among its six priorities.

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### Why the Mood Shifted

The context is a labor market that keeps absorbing bad news. Tech accounted for close to a third of U.S. layoffs in the first half of 2026, and AI is increasingly named as the reason. The projections are grimmer still. Goldman Sachs Senior Global Economist Joseph Briggs estimates that more than 9% of the labor force, or around 15 million workers, could lose their jobs during a 10-year AI transition period.

Goldman expects many of those losses to be temporary, as AI could eventually create new roles and raise productivity. Briggs believes these losses will prove temporary owing to his expectation that AI will create many new jobs over the long term even as it destroys existing ones.

But the near-term disruption is putting pressure on policymakers to consider new ways to share AI-related profits. The juxtaposition—layoffs alongside record investment—is what makes the ownership argument land.

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### The Case Against: Property Rights, Investment, and Disputed Forecasts

Critics see a forced transfer of private property dressed up as a dividend. Seizing half of a company's equity, on this view, would chill investment and drive AI development offshore. There is also a question about the premise. Sam Altman has argued an AI jobs apocalypse is unlikely, and if he is right, a policy built on mass displacement is solving the wrong problem.

The survey wording matters too. Asking whether firms should be "forced" to transfer stock invites a different answer than asking about the desirability of such a policy.

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### The Human Element: What This Means for You

**For Workers**

If you're in tech—or any industry that AI is beginning to disrupt—the message is clear: your job security is under threat. The 101,743 AI-linked job cuts in 2026 are just the beginning. Goldman Sachs projects 15 million workers could be displaced over the next decade. The AI wealth fund proposal is a direct response to this anxiety.

**For Investors**

The proposal represents a significant political risk for major AI companies. A forced transfer of 50% of stock would dilute existing shareholders and fundamentally alter the corporate governance of the largest AI firms. While the proposal remains far from becoming law, the poll shows that public ownership of AI assets is gaining political support.

**For Everyone**

This debate is about who should benefit from the AI revolution. Should the gains go exclusively to shareholders and executives? Or should the public, which funded the research and infrastructure that made AI possible, share in the returns?

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### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is an AI wealth fund?**

An AI wealth fund is a proposed mechanism to pool revenues or profits generated from artificial intelligence technologies and redistribute them to support workers displaced by automation. The specific proposal would give the public a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies through a public sovereign wealth fund.

**Q: Why do U.S. workers support this idea?**

Support stems from concerns over tech layoffs caused by AI efficiency gains, with surveys showing workers seek economic safeguards and shared benefits from technological progress. The disconnect between record corporate profits and rising layoffs has fueled frustration and anxiety.

**Q: How many jobs has AI cut in 2026?**

AI has been cited in 101,743 job cut announcements so far in 2026, accounting for about 23% of all U.S. layoffs. The technology sector as a whole has announced 139,156 job cuts in the first half of 2026, an 83% increase from the same period in 2025.

**Q: What is the Sanders proposal?**

Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act in June 2026. The proposed legislation would give the public a 50% stake in the largest U.S. AI companies. Sanders has pitched it as a roughly $7 trillion fund.

**Q: What does Goldman Sachs project?**

Goldman Sachs Senior Global Economist Joseph Briggs estimates that more than 9% of the labor force, or around 15 million workers, could lose their jobs during a 10-year AI transition period. However, Goldman expects many of those losses to be temporary, as AI could eventually create new roles.

**Q: What are the counterarguments?**

Critics argue that forced transfer of private property would chill investment and drive AI development offshore. Others, like Sam Altman, argue an AI jobs apocalypse is unlikely, meaning the policy may be solving the wrong problem.

**Q: Is this likely to become law?**

The proposal remains far from becoming law, but the poll shows that public ownership of AI assets is gaining political support. If that momentum continues, regulation of major AI companies may move beyond safety and competition rules toward a more direct debate over who owns the financial gains created by the technology.

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### Conclusion: A Watershed Moment

The Verasight survey is more than just a poll. It's a signal that the social contract around technology is shifting. An idea that sounded radical a year ago is now a majority position. Nearly seven in ten Americans support forcing AI companies to transfer half their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund.

The human cost is real, and it's not evenly distributed. Tech accounted for close to a third of U.S. layoffs in the first half of 2026, while the same companies raising their AI capital spending. That juxtaposition—layoffs alongside record investment—is what makes the ownership argument land.

For workers, the message is clear: the old social contract is broken. For businesses, the message is equally clear: ignoring workforce impacts risks regulatory penalties and consumer backlash. For policymakers, the message is stark: the debate over AI is no longer just about safety and competition—it's about who owns the financial gains created by the technology.

As Benjamin Leff, CEO of Verasight, put it: "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".

The question is no longer whether the debate will happen. It's whether the policy will follow.

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### Disclaimer

**IMPORTANT:** This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal, or political advice. The information contained herein is based on publicly available sources and reflects the author's understanding as of the publication date. Survey results, proposed legislation, and economic projections are subject to change. You should consult with qualified professionals before making any decisions based on this information.

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*Published: July 13, 2026*

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**Tags:** AI wealth fund, tech layoffs, artificial intelligence, sovereign wealth fund, Bernie Sanders, AI regulation, job displacement, automation, Goldman Sachs AI forecast, Verasight survey, AI job cuts, tech industry, AI policy, American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, AI economy, worker protection, corporate accountability, AI profits, public ownership, AI governance