VC Vinod Khosla Says the US Government Could Take 10% Stake in All Public Companies to Soften the Blow of AGI

Why It Matters

If adopted, the policy would reshape corporate ownership, fund large‑scale income redistribution, and set a precedent for government involvement in private equity, influencing how societies manage AI‑induced economic upheaval.

Summary

Vinod Khosla, founder of Khosla Ventures, proposed that the U.S. government acquire a 10% equity stake in every public company and redistribute the proceeds to citizens as a way to share the wealth generated by artificial general intelligence (AGI). He cited President Donald Trump’s 10% purchase of Intel as a precedent and argued that such a national pool could cushion the social disruption expected from AI-driven job displacement. Khosla warned that by 2035 the economy could become highly deflationary and that many current occupations may become obsolete, urging startups to build AI solutions across all professions. The proposal, while controversial, reflects a broader debate on universal basic income and wealth redistribution in the age of AI.