Trump Wants a Sovereign Wealth Fund—Here’s How Other Nations Run Theirs

Wealth funds are used in more than 90 other countries/districts, including Saudi Arabia, Australia, Norway, China, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

President Donald Trump talks to reporters after signing an executive order, "Unleashing prosperity through deregulation," in the Oval Office in Washington on Jan. 31, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has taken steps to create a sovereign wealth fund, a government-owned and operated investment fund.

Such funds are used by many countries and some states within the United States and function like venture capital. They typically use a nation’s surplus reserves and/or revenue from natural resources as seed money.