When the President Takes a Cut

The article details how President Donald Trump has used government power to take equity stakes in companies across industries, including quantum computing, steel, and semiconductors, in exchange for government funding. Examples include the Commerce Department's $2 billion investment in quantum-computing companies, conditions on Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S. Steel, and Intel's 10% stake given to the government for grants. The practice is criticized as fostering crony capitalism, contrasting with past crisis-era interventions where government shares were later sold.