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President Donald Trump’s portfolio has been buying into the artificial intelligence boom. A Washington Post analysis of his financial disclosures, published Sunday, found his family’s business empire increasingly tied to AI. (1)
His filings show purchases of Dell Technologies, Micron Technology and GE Vernova — companies whose profits depend on the massive spending on computing and electricity that AI requires. (2) The filings also list Broadcom, Texas Instruments, Credo Technology and Super Micro Computer. (3)
It’s not clear whether he still owns those shares, since trades aren’t disclosed in real time. And on Monday, all three of the first group fell in a broad AI sell-off after tech leaders warned about racing ahead too fast. (2) The White House says his accounts are run by independent managers using computer models. (4)
Meanwhile, the ratings agency Fitch recently modeled what an AI-driven downturn could look like: stocks falling about 35% over six months, tipping the economy into recession. (5)
I traded through the dot-com crash, as well as every other one since 1981. And I’ve made millions in the stock market — partly from companies powering AI. So I’m no AI skeptic. But I’ve seen what happens when an entire market falls in love with one idea.
Here’s the twist most people miss: You may already have more riding on AI than you think. Here are five ways to check — and protect yourself.
1. Your ‘boring’ index fund is already an AI bet
If you own an S&P 500 index fund, you probably think you’re diversified across 500 companies. Technically, you are. But the weights tell a different story.
By the end of 2025, the 10 largest companies made up nearly 41% of the S&P 500, according to RBC Wealth Management — more than double their share a decade earlier. (6) At the end of 2000, near the top of the dot-com bubble, the top 10 were about 23%. (6)
Many of today’s giants are betting heavily on AI. So when AI stocks sneeze, your “safe” index fund catches a cold.
2. Copying a famous portfolio rarely works
It’s tempting to think, “If the president is buying it, maybe I should, too.” Resist that urge — and not for political reasons.
The disclosures you’re reading describe trades made weeks or months ago. (2) By the time a purchase makes headlines, the price has already moved, and the seller may be long gone. You’d be buying yesterday’s idea at today’s price.
That’s true whether the famous investor is a president, a billionaire or a TV pundit. Build your plan around your goals, not someone else’s filing.
Quick aside — most internet financial advice comes from people who weren’t alive during the last recession. I’ve been writing about money for more than 35 years. Want rock-solid advice? Sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter. Takes 10 seconds. No fluff. No spam.
3. Run your own bubble stress test
Take Fitch’s scenario seriously, even if you don’t think it’s likely. (5) Look at your stock holdings and knock 35% off.
If you have $500,000 in stocks, that’s a $175,000 paper loss in six months. Now ask yourself honestly: Would I hold on? Would I need that money in the next few years?
When the dot-com bubble burst, the people who got hurt worst weren’t the ones who owned tech. They were the ones who owned only tech, needed the money soon, or panicked and sold at the bottom.
4. Own some things that don’t depend on AI
Diversification means owning assets that don’t all rise and fall on the same headline. That could mean more bonds as you near retirement, international stocks, smaller companies or real estate.
Real estate is one area the AI trade doesn’t drive. Arrived, for example, lets you buy shares of professionally managed rental homes for as little as $100 and collect your share of the rent as dividends. Arrived handles the tenants, repairs and paperwork.
Offerings are SEC-qualified, and backers include Jeff Bezos’ venture fund. Values can fluctuate, so it’s best for money you can leave invested for years — browse available properties here.
5. Rebalance on a schedule, not a feeling
The simplest protection against a bubble is boring: Pick a target mix of investments, then trim whatever has grown too big once a year. That forces you to sell a little high and buy a little low, without trying to predict anything.
If your portfolio is large or you’re close to retirement, it’s worth having a pro look at how much AI exposure you really have, as well as any number of other things, like when to take Social Security and how to minimize taxes.
Services like SmartAsset match you free with up to three fiduciary advisors — pros legally required to put your interests first.
If you've got $100,000 or more invested, get matched with a fiduciary advisor free. First appointments are also typically free.
The bottom line
The president’s trades raise questions about conflicts of interest that ethics experts and voters will keep debating. For your portfolio, though, the bigger question is simpler: How much of your future is riding on one technology?
AI may well change the world. So did the internet — and plenty of investors still got crushed in 2000, not because they were wrong about the future, but because they paid any price and owned nothing else.
You don’t have to predict whether this is a bubble. You just have to make sure that if it is, you’re still standing when it’s over.
Sources: 1. The Washington Post; 2. The Washington Post via NZ Herald; 3. BigGo Finance; 4. CNN; 5. CNN via Yahoo Finance; 6. RBC Wealth Management;
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