Bessent at Charlotte Private Luncheon warns China AI win would ’negate all else’, targets 80% compute share by 2028

On September 2, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned during a Charlotte private luncheon that a China AI victory would "negate all else," and projected that the United States will control 80% of global computing power by 2028, up from approximately 60% in 2025. Bessent cited the Trump administration's regulatory, tax and energy policies as driving the US ahead in AI compute capacity.

He also highlighted four industrial companies—Medtronic, Deere & Co., 3M, and Eli Lilly—as examples of AI's productivity gains extending beyond Silicon Valley. Nvidia's data-center segment, generating around $39 billion in the most recent quarter, serves as a key metric for tracking the 80% compute target. The company is set to report fiscal third-quarter earnings in November 2026.

Bessent emphasized that AI's impact is now a cross-market earnings story, not just a tech-sector narrative. Despite China's rejection of the G20 consensus, Bessent's remarks emphasized the US's focus on building compute power amidst economic rivalry with Beijing. He also discussed the Helene recovery and the need for continued federal infrastructure assistance.

Bessent advocated for Trump Accounts, which provide $1,000 investment accounts for children born during Trump's second term, aiming to increase stock market exposure among American families. Two near-term developments could test the success of Bessent's AI and market-inclusion strategies: guidance on Trump Account employer contributions from the IRS and a technology showcase in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, planned by the Commerce Department and White House OSTP.