Former White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks urged artificial intelligence companies to contribute to Trump Accounts, arguing that giving children a financial stake in AI could strengthen public support for the technology.

Sacks made the call on Tuesday via X, stating that Trump Accounts could make children "a direct owner in the American economy." He specifically asked AI firms to follow the example set by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: SPCX) President Gwynne Shotwell.

SpaceX Donation Model

Sacks wrote, "I hope every AI company will follow the lead of @Gwynne_Shotwell @SpaceXAI and give American kids a vested interest in their success." He argued that such contributions "would do much to improve the public’s image of AI."

This appeal follows a significant donation from Shotwell and her husband, Robert Shotwell. Last month, President Donald Trump thanked the couple for their $325 million SpaceX stock donation to Trump Accounts. The pledge included one share of SpaceX stock for each of more than 2 million American children, with shares held until the children turn 18. Trump described the gesture as showing "extreme generosity."

Industry Support and Participation

Sacks praised several figures for helping create the program, including Altimeter Capital founder and CEO Brad Gerstner, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE: DELL) CEO Michael Dell. He noted participating in an event where dozens of CEOs expressed interest in making contributions.

Other industry leaders have also voiced support for the initiative:

• Robinhood Markets Inc. (NASDAQ: HOOD) CEO Vlad Tenev stated that Trump Accounts give children access to the S&P 500 through a low-cost State Street ETF, aiming to make investing accessible from birth.
• Bill Ackman praised the accounts as one of Trump’s strongest initiatives, echoing his own proposal to give American babies money to invest. He argued that broader stock-market participation is essential because "Wages cannot compound as quickly as stocks."
• Personal finance expert George Kamel opened Trump Accounts for his two children and plans to contribute another $3,000 to his son’s account, estimating it could grow to nearly $500,000 or more by age 65.

What the Numbers Show

The disparity between the scale of institutional donations and individual projections highlights the program's dual appeal. While the Shotwells’ $325 million donation targets immediate equity distribution across millions of minors, individual contributors like Kamel are banking on long-term compounding, projecting a $3,000 initial addition growing to nearly $500,000 over four decades. This divergence suggests the program aims to capture both high-net-worth institutional goodwill and mass-market retail participation.

The Pentagon has refuted claims made by an OpenAI executive regarding U.S. government restrictions on Chinese artificial intelligence, citing a specific 2026 law as the basis for the policy. Defence Under Secretary Emil Michael responded on Sunday to Dean Ball, head of strategic futures at OpenAI, who had suggested that government agencies were using regulatory uncertainty to discourage the adoption of Chinese AI models. Michael stated that Congress passed a law in 2026 restricting certain uses of only DeepSeek and High Flyer models, with waivers permitted in specific cases, and emphasized that the measure was approved through the democratic process rather than a "Deep State" initiative.

Sacks Criticizes Regulatory Uncertainty Strategy

Former White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks also weighed in on the discussion, criticizing the use of regulatory uncertainty as a tool to discourage the adoption of Chinese AI models. Sacks responded to Ball's suggestion that the government could steer companies away from Chinese AI by having agencies issue informal warnings that create fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD). Sacks argued that "the weaponization of regulatory uncertainty as a competitive tool should be completely unacceptable" and that regulatory decisions should be grounded in facts and evidence. He warned that creating doubt around open-source AI models without strong evidence could undermine trust and benefit major closed AI companies.

Chinese AI Adoption Surges

The debate occurs as Chinese AI models have overtaken U.S. rivals on the OpenRouter platform. According to data shared by The Kobeissi Letter, Chinese models accounted for a record 58% of tokens processed by U.S. firms. Their usage share has surged from less than 10% at the start of 2025 to as high as 63% in early July, driven by growing adoption of systems from companies such as DeepSeek. This shift indicates a significant acceleration in the use of Chinese AI technology by American developers.

Regulatory Landscape and Access Control

The Trump administration is reportedly seeking greater control over who gets early access to advanced AI models from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. Under the new Gold Eagle cybersecurity initiative, the White House could approve which organizations participate in trusted-partner programs, shifting authority away from AI companies' current self-managed access process. Additionally, OpenAI was reportedly considering offering a 5% equity stake to the U.S. government to strengthen ties with the administration and secure financial backing.