Howard Lutnick calls for ‘America First’ after blasting globalization as ‘failed policy’ in front of Davos elites. How to bet big on the US in 2026

“It is what the WEF has stood for, which is export, offshore, farshore, find the cheapest labor in the world and the world is a better place for it. The fact is, it has left America behind. It has left the American workers behind,” he added.

Instead, Lutnick said the administration is pushing a different model — one rooted in “America First.”

“What we are here to say is that America First is a different model — one that we encourage other countries to consider — which is that our workers come first,” he said.

While globalization has helped lower costs and expand economic output, it has also redistributed jobs, capital and economic power across borders. According to Lutnick, that trade-off becomes dangerous when it extends to critical industries.

“You shouldn’t offshore your medicine. You shouldn’t offshore your semiconductors. You shouldn’t offshore your entire industrial base and have it be hollowed out beneath you,” he said.

Globalization has allowed countries to specialize around their comparative advantages — meaning some industries gain while others lose. And when a country becomes overly reliant on others for essential products and components, it can become vulnerable if trade relationships or geopolitical conditions shift.

Lutnick then made an even broader case for why the world, not just the U.S., should embrace that approach — arguing that global prosperity is closely tied to America’s strength.

“When America shines, the world shines,” he said. “Close your eyes and think of a world without America in it. It becomes pretty dark pretty darn quickly.”

‘Winning the trade war’

President Donald Trump has long pushed an economic strategy centered on “putting America first,” with sweeping tariffs reflecting that approach (2).

While those measures have drawn criticism, some economists say recent data suggest the outcome has been more resilient than many expected.

“The U.S. appears to be winning the trade war with tariffs curbing the imports of foreign goods, but America’s trading partners are not holding any grudge as they continue to buy more American goods and services,” said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds, after the U.S. trade deficit narrowed to its lowest level since 2009 (3).

“So far the forecasts for a U.S. recession are coming up dry as productivity continues to backstop growth,” Rupkey added.

At the same time, major companies continue to view the U.S. as one of the most dependable places to build and grow. That confidence is showing up in the scale of capital they’re committing — across multiple industries.

For instance, Toyota recently announced plans to invest up to $10 billion in its U.S. operations over the next five years (4). Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has unveiled a $100 billion investment to expand U.S.-based chip manufacturing (5). Hyundai, meanwhile, is increasing its investment in the U.S. to $26 billion through 2028 to boost steel, automotive and robotics production (6).

If you share this optimism, here’s a look at a few simple ways to position yourself for America’s growth in 2026 — and beyond.

Bet on American innovation

The U.S. has long been a global leader in technology and innovation — a reality reflected in the powerful rally in tech stocks in recent years. But public markets tell only part of the story of how wealth is created.

Many of the biggest and most successful tech companies remain privately held for years, growing behind the scenes and building incredible value long before the IPO bell is rung.

Venture capital is where the early bets on future giants are placed. But, for decades, venture capital has been one of the few remaining tables in finance where retail investors can’t get a seat.

Fundrise finally disrupted that dynamic a few years ago by launching a venture capital product with two goals. One: Build a portfolio of the most valuable private tech companies in the world. Two: Make it available to as many people as possible, with investments starting at just $10.

Today, Fundrise manages billions of dollars in private market assets and their venture capital product is designed specifically for investors who want to get in early on transformative technologies like AI.

Check out their venture portfolio today and start investing in minutes.

‘The best thing to do,’ according to Warren Buffett

The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. Trump has pointed to that strength, recently saying that “the only thing that’s really going up big? It’s the stock market and your 401(k)s (7).”

The benchmark S&P 500 returned 16% in 2025 and has gained roughly 79% over the past five years.

Of course, consistently picking winning stocks isn’t easy. That’s why legendary investor Warren Buffett argues that most people don’t need to pick individual companies at all to benefit from the stock market’s long-term growth.

“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously stated (8). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.

The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

Build wealth through US real estate

Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.

In fact, Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check (9).”

Why? Because regardless of what’s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.

Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.