The estimate is not an exact tally. Members of Congress generally disclose assets in broad value ranges, and Forbes used 2025 disclosures plus more recent filings. It used AI to flag possible matches, then had a reporter manually review the candidates. Companies were counted when they owned data centers or were substantially involved in building them; large technology companies with extensive business outside data centers, including Apple, Alphabet and Meta, were excluded.
Whitehouse tops Forbes' ranking
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island ranked first, with holdings estimated between $2.1 million and $8.6 million. The companies listed included Nvidia, Lam Research, Micron and Oracle. Whitehouse spokesperson Meaghan McCabe told Forbes that the senator "does not trade stocks" and that his portfolio is managed "independently without any input from the Senator."
Forbes reported at least $1.3 million in data center-linked holdings associated with Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, held in his wife’s and children’s names. It estimated Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee had between $500,000 and $1 million, while Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had between $300,000 and $800,000 in spouse-owned holdings.
Spokespeople stressed that the investments do not direct the senators' work. Wyden's spokesperson pointed to his record of scrutinizing data center growth, while a spokesperson for Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada said her holdings have "zero influence on her work." Collins did not respond to Forbes' request for comment.
The same senators help shape data center policy
The disclosures sit alongside active policy debates about who pays for the power and infrastructure required by data centers. Whitehouse has backed legislation that would set emissions standards for data center power plants and supported requiring data centers to cover transmission costs. Wyden has proposed repealing construction tax incentives, imposing an excise tax on operating facilities and barring data center construction on public lands.
Hagerty supports the buildout as part of U.S. competition in artificial intelligence, but has argued that technology companies should pay the related infrastructure costs rather than households and businesses. Collins has supported evaluating projects case by case and has raised concerns about electricity costs and resource use.
The disclosures alone do not establish that investments influenced any senator's position. They show the financial exposure some lawmakers have while Congress weighs rules affecting the companies and infrastructure behind the boom.
