INDUSTRIES THAT RECEIVE MASSIVE PUBLIC FUNDS/SUBSIDIES:

ENERGY & EXTRACTION:

• Oil & Gas Industry – ~$20 billion annually in direct subsidies (80% of fossil fuel subsidies)
• Coal Industry – ~$4 billion annually (20% of fossil fuel subsidies)
• Nuclear Energy – Through DOE funding and loan guarantees
• Renewable Energy – Wind, solar (though significantly less than fossil fuels)
• Electric Utilities – Companies like NextEra Energy, NRG Energy, Sempra Energy

TRANSPORTATION:

• Airlines – Bailouts, airport subsidies, air traffic control
• Amtrak – Over $1 billion annually
• Auto Manufacturers – GM, Ford, Tesla (factory incentives, EV subsidies)
• Commercial Shipping/Maritime – $500 million annually
• Aerospace/Defense – Boeing ($16 billion over 25 years)

TECHNOLOGY:

• Semiconductors – Intel ($8 billion+), Texas Instruments, Samsung (via CHIPS Act)
• Big Tech – Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Oracle, Meta (R&D tax breaks, data center incentives)
• Telecommunications – 5G infrastructure subsidies, broadband expansion

AGRICULTURE:

• Farm Subsidies – Massive payments to agribusiness
• Ethanol/Corn Industry – Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
• Sugar Industry – Import protections and price supports
• Tobacco – Despite health concerns

FINANCE:

• Banks – 2008 bailouts, ongoing Fed support
• Insurance Companies – AIG bailout, flood insurance subsidies
• Export-Import Bank – Finances foreign purchases of U.S. goods

REAL ESTATE/HOUSING:

• Developers – Low-Income Housing Tax Credit ($13 billion/year)
• Mortgage Industry – Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac backing

MANUFACTURING:

• Steel Industry – Tariffs, trade protections
• Defense Contractors – Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman
• Pharmaceutical/Biotech – R&D funding, patent protections

RETAIL/E-COMMERCE:

• Amazon – State/local tax breaks for warehouses and data centers
• Walmart – Various state incentives
• Disney – Theme park and studio subsidies

INFRASTRUCTURE:

• Construction Companies – Bridge, pipeline, road contracts
• Utilities – Water, electric, gas companies

FISHERIES:

• Commercial fishing industry subsidies

SPORTS:

• Stadium Construction – Billionaire owners get public funding for stadiums

TOTAL ESTIMATED ANNUAL CORPORATE WELFARE: $80-100+ billion in direct subsidies

The IMF estimates the U.S. spent $649 billion on fossil fuel subsidies alone in 2017 (when you include negative externalities/hidden costs).

The hypocrisy: These are often the same industries whose executives complain about “government handouts” to poor people while their companies rake in billions in taxpayer money.