Uncle Sam may have just launched the most unconventional ETF on Wall Street (hypothetical, of course). With equity stakes in Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC) and Lithium Americas Corp (NYSE:LAC), the U.S. government is shifting from backroom subsidies to front-row ownership — and investors are taking notice.
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In recent weeks, President Donald Trump‘s administration finalized a nearly 10% stake in Intel, restructuring $8.9 billion in CHIPS Act grants into common stock, and took a 5% equity position in Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass project, backed by a $2.26 billion Department of Energy loan.
Together, the moves mark a pivot in U.S. industrial policy: Uncle Sam doesn't just want to bankroll national champions — he wants a slice of the upside.
Read Also: Intel’s White House Advantage: The Only Chip Giant Not Paying The China Tax
Subsidies No More — It's Shares Now
For decades, U.S. policy toward strategic sectors has leaned on tax breaks, grants, and loans. But with semiconductors and critical minerals seen as the twin pillars of energy and tech security, Washington is acting less like a passive benefactor and more like a portfolio manager.
The use of no-cost warrants in LAC and stock purchases in Intel signals that taxpayer money is no longer one-way traffic — the government now expects equity returns, not just economic spillover.
That's a striking parallel: Intel represents a turnaround bet on U.S. chip manufacturing, while Lithium Americas is a growth story in the race to secure EV battery metals: different industries, different timelines — same government playbook.
The "Uncle Sam ETF" Angle
For investors, these moves cut both ways. On the one hand, a U.S. equity stake can de-risk a company, lending political weight to its success. On the other hand, it raises thorny questions: Will government ownership influence corporate decisions? Will private shareholders find themselves diluted or sidelined?
Either way, the pattern is clear — Washington is assembling a new kind of index, built not for yield or market cap, but for strategic leverage.
Today it's Intel and Lithium Americas. Tomorrow, it could be more names across the supply-chain map. Call it the Uncle Sam ETF — and whether you like it or not, it's already trading.
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