Connect with us
[the_ad id="89560"]

Business

Trump creates U.S. sovereign wealth fund – may purchase TikTok

Published

4 minute read

MXM logo From MXMNews

Quick Hit:

On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order to create the first-ever U.S. sovereign wealth fund, with TikTok potentially becoming one of its first acquisitions. Trump emphasized the fund’s potential to generate significant wealth, positioning the U.S. alongside countries like Saudi Arabia and China that have long operated similar funds.

Key Details:

  • Trump signed the order in the Oval Office, joined by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, calling the move “a very exciting event.”

  • The fund may be capitalized through tariff revenues, with Trump hinting that TikTok could be included as an asset, possibly as part of a deal tied to avoiding new 10% tariffs on Chinese goods.

  • Bessent and Lutnick will oversee the fund’s creation, aiming to “monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet” within the next year.

Diving Deeper:

President Trump on Monday signed an executive order to establish the first sovereign wealth fund in U.S. history, signaling a bold new approach to managing national assets. Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump described the initiative as “a very exciting event” and highlighted its potential to generate vast wealth for the country.

“Other countries have sovereign wealth funds, and they’re much smaller than the United States,” Trump noted. “We’re going to have one of the biggest funds in the world in a short period of time. The Saudi Arabia fund is large, but we’ll catch up.”

While the exact source of the fund’s initial capital hasn’t been confirmed, Trump has previously suggested that tariff revenues could play a key role. This aligns with his recent announcement of a 10% tariff on Chinese imports, which he framed as part of his strategy to combat fentanyl trafficking. Trump also floated the idea of including a stake in TikTok within the fund, hinting that Beijing might divest from the platform to sidestep the new tariffs.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined the administration’s vision, stating, “We are going to monetize the asset side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people. We’ve studied best practices from around the world, and it will include a mix of liquid assets and domestic investments.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick added that the sheer scale of the U.S. government’s operations presents a unique opportunity to create value for American citizens. “If we’re buying billions of COVID vaccines, maybe we should hold equity in these companies to benefit the health and wealth of the American people,” he said.

Trump envisions the fund investing in infrastructure, manufacturing, medical research, and more. During his campaign, he suggested the fund could be supported through tariffs and “other intelligent things,” emphasizing that it will be a tool to strengthen America’s economic independence and global competitiveness.

With sovereign wealth funds in countries like China, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore boasting assets exceeding $1 trillion, Trump’s move represents a significant shift in U.S. fiscal strategy, positioning the nation to compete directly in this arena for the first time.

Automotive

Elon Musk Poised To Become World’s First Trillionaire After Shareholder Vote

Published on

 

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Mariane Angela

Tesla shareholders voted Thursday to approve an enormous compensation package that could make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire.

At Tesla’s Austin headquarters, investors backed Musk’s 12-step plan that ties his potential trillion-dollar payout to a series of aggressive financial and operational milestones, including raising the company’s valuation from roughly $1.4 trillion to $8.5 trillion and selling one million humanoid robots within a decade. Musk hailed the outcome as a turning point for Tesla’s future.

“What we’re about to embark upon is not merely a new chapter of the future of Tesla but a whole new book,” Musk said, as The New York Times reported.

Dear Readers:

As a nonprofit, we are dependent on the generosity of our readers.

Please consider making a small donation of any amount here.

Thank you!

The decision cements investor confidence in Musk’s “moonshot” management style and reinforces the belief that Tesla’s success depends heavily on its founder and his leadership.

“Those who claim the plan is ‘too large’ ignore the scale of ambition that has historically defined Tesla’s trajectory,” the Florida State Board of Administration said in a securities filing describing why it voted for Mr. Musk’s pay plan. “A company that went from near bankruptcy to global leadership in E.V.s and clean energy under similar frameworks has earned the right to use incentive models that reward moonshot performance.”

Investors like Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood defended Tesla’s decision, saying the plan aligns shareholder rewards with company performance.

“I do not understand why investors are voting against Elon’s pay package when they and their clients would benefit enormously if he and his incredible team meet such high goals,” Wood wrote on X.

Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, Norges Bank Investment Management — one of Tesla’s largest shareholders — broke ranks, however, and voted against the pay plan, saying that the package was excessive.

“While we appreciate the significant value created under Mr. Musk’s visionary role, we are concerned about the total size of the award, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk,” the firm said.

The vote comes months after Musk wrapped up his short-lived government role under President Donald Trump. In February, Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team sparked a firestorm when they announced plans to eliminate the U.S. Agency for International Development, drawing backlash from Democrats and prompting protests targeting Musk and his companies, including Tesla.

Back in May, Musk announced that his “scheduled time” leading DOGE had ended.

Continue Reading

Business

Carney’s Deficit Numbers Deserve Scrutiny After Trudeau’s Forecasting Failures

Published on

From the Frontier Centre for Public Policy

By Conrad Eder

Frontier Centre for Public Policy study reveals a decade of inflated Liberal forecasts—a track record that casts a long shadow over Carney’s first budget

The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has released a major new study revealing that the Trudeau government’s federal budget forecasts from 2016 to 2025 were consistently inaccurate and biased — a record that casts serious doubt on the projections in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget.

Carney’s 2025–26 federal budget forecasts a $78.3-billion deficit — twice the size projected last year and four times what was forecast in Budget 2022. But if recent history is any guide, Canadians have good reason to question whether even this ballooning deficit reflects fiscal reality.

The 4,000-word study, Measuring Federal Budgetary Balance Forecasting Accuracy and Bias, by Frontier Centre policy analyst Conrad Eder, finds that forecast accuracy collapsed after the Trudeau government took office:

  • Current-year forecasts were off by an average of $22.9 billion, or one per cent of GDP.
  • Four-year forecasts missed the mark by an average of $94.4 billion, or four per cent of GDP.
  • Long-term projections consistently overstated Canada’s fiscal health, showing a clear optimism bias.

Eder’s analysis shows that every three- and four-year forecast under Trudeau predicted a stronger financial position than what actually occurred, masking the true scale of deficits and debt accumulation. The study concludes that this reflects a systemic optimism bias, likely rooted in political incentives: short-term optics with no regard to long-term consequences.

“With Prime Minister Carney now setting Canada’s fiscal direction, it’s critical to assess his projections in light of this track record,” said Eder. “The pattern of bias and inaccuracy under previous Liberal governments gives reason to doubt the credibility of claims that deficits will shrink over time. Canadians deserve fiscal forecasts that are credible and transparent — not political messaging disguised as economic planning.”

The study warns that persistent optimism bias erodes fiscal accountability, weakens public trust and limits citizens’ ability to hold government to account — a threat to both economic sustainability and democratic transparency.

Click here to download the full study.

Continue Reading

Trending

X