Vinod Khosla Proposes US Government Take 10% Stake in Public Firms to Share AI Wealth

Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla proposed at the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 conference that the U.S. government should own a 10% stake in every public company to equitably share the wealth generated by artificial intelligence (AI). Inspired by President Donald Trump's decision for the government to acquire a 10% stake in Intel, Khosla envisions this approach as a way to create a national pool of corporate profits benefiting all Americans, rather than concentrating gains among shareholders and executives. He emphasized that AI's transformative impact could lead to significant job displacement and a deflationary economy by 2035, requiring bold and radical policy measures to maintain social cohesion and economic equity. Khosla argued that direct government ownership in corporations may be a more effective long-term solution compared to universal basic income, ensuring broader participation in the nation's technological prosperity. His proposal reflects growing concerns about AI's economic disruption and the need for innovative strategies to manage wealth distribution amid rapid technological change. The idea also aligns with recent government moves to acquire stakes in strategic industries to secure supply chains and foster national interests.