Sovereign Wealth
At $2.3T, Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) owns ~1.5% of ALL global equities in its portfolio, providing Norway's 5.67M citizens a notional account value of over $400,000 USD for every man, woman, and child in Norway.
This SWF derived from Norway's collection of a 78% profit tax on oil production. Keep in mind, Norway is only 12th in the world in total annual oil production.
Given that the United States is the LARGEST net oil exporter in the world, producing some 13.5 million barrels per day as of 2025, it begs the question where is OUR Sovereign Wealth Fund?
The United States operates under an antiquated 1920s 12.5% Mineral Leasing Act, earning a reported "$8B last year."
Yet 2025 crude oil production in the United States was as previously mentioned 13.5M barrels per day totaling some ~5 billion barrels for the entire year. With an average market price of $65 USD per barrel that equates to roughly $325B in total US crude production revenue.
I'm no Albert Einstein, but there seems to be some SERIOUS "leakage." 12.5% of $325B is NOT $8B. Where is the other $33B going? Hint: Probably NOT to YOU the taxpayer.
Imagine if the United States government was not beholden to Big Oil, but rather it had the integrity and foresight to establish a sovereign wealth fund like Norway and charge an equitable royalty rate (after all, these ARE all citizen taxpayer public lands) of say 50%.
The oil majors would all still be wildly profitable, and within 10 years the United States would have well over $1T in a SWF. In a generation the earnings of this fund could wholly replace Social Security (and the economic break-pedal of its onerous wage tax.)
Imagine if instead of a National Debt of ~$40T or about $115,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States we too had early positions in Apple, Amazon, Dell, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, SpaceX, and Tesla like Norway?
The United States is the EPICENTER of innovation. Citizens should be reaping the rewards alongside this innovation.
Let's utilize royalties from national natural resources from public lands to invest in the future productivity and innovation in this country for all citizens to benefit and wean ourselves off of wasteful employment taxation.
Within 10 years the United States Sovereign Wealth Fund (USSWF) could and should totally replace the need for Social Security or the Social Security Administration.
The Boomers would be the LAST generation to receive benefits under Social Security, while GenX and beyond would receive proportional income shares in the new USSWF.
T. H RAPKO & COMPANY, LLC would be proud to manage the USSWF on behalf of all Americans. If we are going to "Drill, baby, drill" in this country, we should also "Invest, baby, invest."
