Bridgewater Associates wants a 35% tax on AI usage — and it wants the proceeds to buy shares of AI giants for the American public. The hedge fund calls the idea “citizen equity,” and it’s taking it to both parties in Washington.
October 5, 2026 — Bridgewater has held talks with policymakers from both parties, according to the New York Post; the proposal comes from a lengthy essay the firm published in September.
The bottom line: Ray Dalio’s firm wants to tax AI usage at 35% — potentially $600 billion by 2030 — and use it to make the public a shareholder in the AI boom, as an alternative to universal basic income.
What happened
Bridgewater Associates, the hedge fund founded by billionaire Ray Dalio, has emerged as an unlikely champion of the “little guy” in the AI debate. Last month, co-CIO Greg Jensen, CEO Nir Bar Dea, and colleagues published a lengthy essay calling for “immediate policy action” to realize “the full potential of artificial intelligence by mitigating the risks of widespread societal disruption and catastrophic safety accidents.” The ideas have caught the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill and led to informal talks with policymakers from both parties, the Post reports.
The details
The centerpiece is a “token tax” on AI usage. Bridgewater estimates that a 35% tax could raise $600 billion by 2030. The revenue would be used to acquire shares of AI giants and distribute them to members of the public — “citizen equity” in the AI boom, turning everyday Americans into partners in the upside rather than bystanders of disruption.
The proposal is explicitly positioned against universal basic income, the fix favored by tech luminaries including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Elon Musk. In a Q&A, Jensen argued UBI would hand too much control to the government — a payout instead of an ownership stake.
This lands in a Washington conversation that’s already moving in this direction: a “Public Wealth Fund” concept floated in an OpenAI policy paper would back frontier model developers and distribute returns to households, and Bridgewater is now the biggest institutional name arguing that the AI windfall needs a public ownership mechanism.
Why it matters
Forget the tax rate for a moment — 35% is a conversation starter, not a bill. What matters is who is saying it: one of the world’s most secretive hedge funds is now lobbying Washington to tax the technology minting Silicon Valley’s fortunes. For subscribers, the signal is that AI profits are about to become political property. Whether it ends as a token tax, a wealth fund, or nothing, the direction is clear: the AI boom’s winners will be asked — or forced — to share the upside with the public. If you invest around AI stocks, price in the possibility that the “citizen equity” era is coming, in some form.
FAQ
What is Bridgewater’s “token tax” proposal?
A tax on AI usage — Bridgewater estimates a 35% rate could generate $600 billion by 2030, with proceeds used to buy shares of AI companies for the public.
What is “citizen equity”?
Bridgewater’s term for giving members of the public an ownership stake in the AI boom — shares in AI giants funded by the tax revenue — rather than cash handouts.
How does this differ from universal basic income?
UBI, backed by figures like Sam Altman and Elon Musk, gives every citizen a recurring payment. Bridgewater’s Greg Jensen argues UBI concentrates too much power in government; equity gives people ownership instead.
Is this actually happening?
No. It’s a proposal from a hedge fund essay plus informal talks with policymakers — nothing has been legislated or formally proposed in Congress.
Sources: New York Post.