#Trump Official Who Wants #DataCenters on Public Lands Has Tens of Millions Invested in #AI Industry
Interior Secretary #DougBurgum, who is heavily invested in the AI industry, is leading the charge to allow tech companies to build data centers on the public lands he oversees.
by Mark Olalde, November 6, 2026
Excerpt: "[A]dvancing the administration’s AI objectives also could benefit Burgum’s own finances.
"Much of his wealth is held in #ArthurVentures, an investment firm he co-founded, according to his 2026 financial disclosure form, which has not been previously reported. Between $18.1 million and $64.4 million of those investments are in AI companies, according to an analysis of the companies’ marketing materials shared with ProPublica by public lands advocacy group #SaveOurParks. (Government financial disclosure forms allow filers to report wide ranges instead of the specific value of their investments.)
"Burgum made his fortune 25 years ago when he sold a software company to #Microsoft and has remained heavily invested in technology. In the year before joining the administration, when he was #NorthDakota ’s governor, he made between $2.1 million and $11 million in capital gains from AI-related investments, Save Our Parks’ analysis showed. In 2025, he sold millions of dollars of stocks and equity in AI companies, bringing in capital gains worth between $2.5 million and $15.1 million.
"In the ethics agreement Burgum signed as part of his Senate confirmation, he agreed to resign from his positions at Arthur but not give up his financial interests there."
Read more:
https://www.propublica.org/article/burgum-public-land-data-centers-investments
#NoDatacenters #NoAIDatacenters #NoDataCentersOnPublicLands #PublicLands #Burgum #PowerCorruptionAndLies #USPol