U.S. Government Eyes Quantum Computing Equity Stakes

The Trump administration is currently in talks with several quantum-computing companies, aiming to secure equity stakes in exchange for federal funding, according to sources reported by the Wall Street Journal. Companies like IonQ and Rigetti Computing are potentially poised to offer the government a shareholder role as part of these financial agreements.

The discussions reportedly involve a commitment from the government to provide a minimum of $10 million in funding for each company involved. Other firms, such as Quantum Computing and Atom Computing, are also considering similar arrangements, although details remain unverified by Reuters. A U.S. Commerce Department official claimed there are no ongoing negotiations with these companies at present.

These discussions are part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to influence corporate America, similar to previous interventions including taking a 10% stake in Intel and securing a significant share in MP Materials. The move aligns with predictions from tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and IBM, who anticipate that quantum computing technology is nearing a breakthrough.