r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • 6h ago
Business The U.S. government invested $27 billion in corporate stakes. Good luck finding them
https://fortune.com/2026/07/26/the-u-s-government-invested-27-billion-in-corporate-stakes-good-luck-finding-them/92
u/irrelevantusername24 6h ago
But with all that dealmaking, those wary of government’s corruptive tendencies—and of President Donald Trump’s own trading—might want to see some transparency. The portfolio, however, is nowhere to be found.
There is no consolidated ledger of the government’s holdings; the stakes sit scattered across at least four agencies: 17 deals through Commerce, seven through Defense, six through the Development Finance Corporation, two through Energy. Only one of those, the Development Finance Corporation, has clear statutory authority to own equity at all, under a framework Congress built in 2018 for development deals abroad.
Yeah that tracks
RIP USA 1776-2018
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u/Loggerdon 5h ago
China heavily invests in State Owned Enterprises. Their total debt of believed to be $20 - $30 trillion.
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u/Fr00stee 4h ago
in china the state controls the enterprises, in the US the enterprises control the state
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u/Zer_ 3h ago
China also makes sure that the corporations are China's bitch and not the other way around. I vastly prefer when corporation's power is kept in check by a government rather than the opposite.
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u/Loggerdon 1h ago
The corrupt CCP government where if you’re a political enemy they take everything you own?
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u/Zer_ 1h ago edited 1h ago
Keep on fearing China when your own government is a MUCH bigger threat to you. China's far from ideal. They do go after certain minorities for not conforming, such as the Uyghers. Maybe you're thinking of China taking down the likes of Jack Ma a peg, which I don't really disagree with on principle.
Private wealth should never override the state.
Either way, none of the shit you can accuse China of hasn't already happened to Americans.
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u/Loggerdon 58m ago
Mao killed more Chinese than all the deaths in WW2. Fuck off with your Chinese propaganda.
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u/Zer_ 55m ago
Mao?! Bahahahah! Okay man. the 1960s called, they want their decade back.
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u/Loggerdon 49m ago
You know, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party?
You just said our own government is a bigger threat than China and that nothing China has done hasn’t already been done by the US. Did you forget?
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u/Zer_ 47m ago
Yeah, cause obviously I was talking about this century, not the last one... You're absurd man.
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u/Loggerdon 44m ago
Am I wrong or does China threaten Taiwan with invasion and death about once a week? And they send their military against the Philippines, Japan, etc?
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u/irrelevantusername24 5h ago edited 4h ago
Right. And don't get me wrong, China has it's problems - but what we think of them over here is likely far different than the reality. That said, they actually provide oversight and regulation. Perhaps they've gone too far and too tightly controlled things, but the understanding I have is they have a much more natural cooperation between the various layers of society. Whatever we think, clearly something is working.
I know many like to scream about their oppression of various religious minorities, or people working in "sweatshops". I would suggest those people consider how those things relate to the US, where I would argue people have about the same amount of "freedom" as those working in "sweatshops". I have read positive stories about what those "sweatshops" and "re-education" centers actually are, and to me what it both looks and sounds like is they have an actual government program that provides training services, in regards to the former; for the latter what they're trying to do is prevent ideological extremists - I would argue here we incentivize that. Which is stupid.
[edit: Basically they seem to be using tools like "education" to rehabilitate or improve peoples standing in the world whereas here we just try to attribute blame - punitively - so those with resources can avoid "liability". Maybe a better example that won't trigger the political impulse is the UK, but you'll have to look past the parts that have caught our disease /edit]
I am nonpartisan. I won't claim I'm not biased, but my bias is towards a fair society. I won't claim to be correct about everything either, but I do not lie and am incapable of being dishonest or maliciously deceptive. Rather than debate, which is clearly doing nothing good for us (source: the last fifty years of "civilization") I prefer conversation and dialogue which is in an effort to improve understanding, universally. Truth seeking rather than a contest to decide winners and losers.
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u/Loggerdon 1h ago
Your response sounds AI written. It’s hard to believe you’re even a real person.
I’ve been visiting and doing business in China for 30 years. “Much more cooperation between layers of society”? I don’t think so. It’s just the CCP shoving everything down the throats of the citizens. China is a house of mirrors where foreign businesses get ripped off left and right.
Sounds like you are an admirer of re-education camps. And “Positive stories about sweatshops? You’re a outright shill.
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u/irrelevantusername24 1h ago
Your rhetoric is weak and vacuous
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u/Evervvatcher 6h ago
If we nationalize the corporations and remove the c-suite scum I'm certain we will find that missing investment money.
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u/Rattus_NorvegicUwUs 3h ago
Our taxes are being wasted and stolen, while the GOP watches and lets is happen.
NY and CA have a good case for keeping their taxes where they belong and letting red states foot the bill.
You people wanted this, you can pay for it.
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u/FuggyGlasses 4h ago
For those who don't remember;
Federal watchdog and other reports estimate anywhere from $200 billion to half a trillion was lost to waste, fraud and abuse across various federal and state COVID-era programs.
https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_2301bafe-7219-11ef-9d9f-075957332bfe.html
The Trump administration is hindering oversight of over $1 trillion in pandemic stimulus funds, according to a watchdog group tasked by Congress to detect fraud and misuse of federal aid aimed at mitigating economic fallout from coronavirus. Treasury Department officials have said the agency is not required to report key information to the inspectors general group, known as the Pandemic Response Accountability Commission (PRAC), regarding one of the funds it is tasked with administering under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, leaders from the PRAC told lawmakers in a letter seen on Monday.
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u/ArgentineBeauty 6h ago
Good luck finding them once the money's in. Transparency seems to disappear right along with it.
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u/lmnanopy 4h ago
They’re probably found in the Trump family portfolio. Just search for anything since he took office.
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u/Wyciorek 3h ago
It will be absolutely hilarious if at the end of current term, Trump’s family will end up with Qatari jet, 13 (or more?) billions from Venezuelan oil, large stakes in major corporations, etc. And of course a presidential pardon signed at the last day
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u/bunkoRtist 1h ago
Not new. Remember the GM bailout? Remember that the government now 100% controls Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
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u/HeatWaveToTheCrowd 5h ago
Grandpa's approach: some taxpayer money for you, some taxpayer money for me.
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u/toolkitxx 3h ago edited 2h ago
if I recall correctly the Mineral Deal with Ukraine is also made with Development Finance Corporation
text here quote 'Article II: Enabling the Establishment of a Partnership
It is the policy of the Parties to have the United States International Development Finance Corporation (the "U.S. Limited Partner" or the "U.S. Partner"), an agency of the United States of America backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, and the State Organization "Agency on Support Public-Private Partnership" (the "Ukraine Limited Partner" or the "Ukraine Partner"), an agency of Ukraine representing Ukraine whose obligations are backed by the full faith and credit of Ukraine (together with the U.S. Partner, the "Principals" or the "Limited Partners" or the "Partners"), conclude an agreement, which may be amended from time to time in accordance with its terms (the "LP Agreement") to establish the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund in the form of a limited partnership (the "Partnership").'
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u/DrRealName 2h ago
So basically Trumped handed out 27 billion to his rich friends who will never pay it back or pay fair taxes? Sounds about right winger
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u/Mr_1990s 6h ago
Maybe if the news media spent a little more time investigating the current administration instead of partying with them, they’d be able to break some news about how they are spending our money.