Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla has suggested that the U.S. government should acquire a 10% stake in all public corporations and distribute the wealth to the general public.
‘National Pool’
Khosla put forward this idea at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference on Tuesday. The inspiration for this proposal came from President Donald Trump‘s decision for the U.S. government to acquire a 10% stake in Intel (NASDAQ:INTC).
“When Trump bought 10% of Intel, I wondered if it wasn't a good idea,” Khosla said. “Take 10% of every corporation and put it in a national pool for the people. That's really interesting. Just take 10% of every public company.”
He acknowledged that this idea might receive criticism but emphasized the importance of sharing the wealth generated by AI to ensure equal benefits for everyone.
“…sharing the wealth of AI is a really, really big need to level the benefits to everybody,” Khosla added.
Khosla, an early investor in OpenAI and the founder of Khosla Ventures, also warned about the potential job displacement due to AI and the need for significant societal changes.
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Reported Quantum Stakes Talk Denied
Khosla’s proposal also comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s acquisition of stakes in four other major publicly traded companies, to date, besides Intel, as part of a national security strategy to secure domestic supply chains for semiconductors, critical minerals, and steel.
Additionally, reports earlier this month also suggested that the administration is considering acquiring stakes in quantum computing companies in exchange for federal funding. However, the Commerce Department later denied any such negotiations, as per Fox News.
Mixed Reaction On Trump’s Intel Stake
The U.S. government’s stake in Intel has been a topic of interest recently. The government’s initial 10% stake in Intel was valued at approximately $8 billion. However, due to Intel’s stock surge, the stake’s value nearly doubled to $16 billion. This surge in value has contributed to the ongoing debate about the government’s role in the tech industry.
The Trump Administration’s decision to acquire a stake in Intel was supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who argued that if chipmakers benefit from the government’s grants, American taxpayers have a right to a reasonable return on that investment.
However, former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger criticized the slow rollout of the CHIPS Act, stating that the government’s equity stake in the chipmaker would only matter if it led to expanded domestic chip manufacturing.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
