Trump administration adds 6 chipmakers to the government’s stock portfolio, which now spans 30 companies
Ben Werschkul· Washington Correspondent
Fri, July 31, 2026 at 7:35 PM GMT+5:30
3 min read
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The Trump administration expanded the government’s investment portfolio this week after six semiconductor companies signed letters of intent to receive government assistance in return for “a minority, non-controlling equity stake.”
These new deals, set to be finalized in the months ahead, would bring the total number of companies in the Trump government portfolio to 30, according to a tally from Tad DeHaven of the Cato Institute
“Perhaps most striking about the announcement is how unremarkable government ownership is becoming,” DeHaven said this week
The investments would provide up to $874 million from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act to help build out new infrastructure for advanced computing and AI systems. The list included six semiconductor companies, as well as GlobalFoundries (GFS), which struck a separate deal with the government in May around quantum computing and is now in line for a second round
“These strategic investments will enhance our country’s domestic capabilities, create high-paying jobs and keep America at the forefront of the semiconductor industry,” Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in a statement.
This CHIPS Act funding was passed in 2022 and signed into law by former President Joe Biden, who used the money to deliver grants without taking equity
Trump’s team has made a hard pivot and is now giving money to 18 semiconductor-adjacent companies in a series of deals that all have been publicly tied to taking equity stakes
It’s just one front in the expanding government portfolio, which also includes quantum computing, steel, nuclear energy, and rare earth minerals
In May, the administration announced new investments in quantum computing companies — including funding for a new IBM (IBM) venture — in exchange for equity stakes, despite questions about the near-term commercial
The Trump administration has emphasized national security in its investment moves over the past year, describing an ambition to both turn a profit and support strategic industries. It took a “golden share” in US Steel as part of an agreement to approve Nippon Steel’s (NPSCY) purchase, and took an 8% stake in nuclear power company Westinghouse
The most prominent investment is in Intel (INTC)
Since that deal was announced last August, stock in the US-based chipmaker has hit record highs and netted the US an unrealized profit north of $70 billion, which Trump has been eager to tout
“Congratulations to the People of the United States for making such a good investment,” the president recently posted to Truth Social
