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Prof. Harold Tan's Portfolios on Autopilot: the AI Bottleneck Portfolio and Uncle Sam's Checkbook

Prof. Harold Tan's Portfolios on Autopilot: the AI Bottleneck Portfolio and Uncle Sam's Checkbook.

Chris Josephs7 min read

I'm Chris, one of the co-founders of Autopilot. Two Portfolios, two very specific theses, both with unusually detailed descriptions of where the research comes from. That detail is the reason to read them.

One thing first, because we're an SEC-registered investment adviser and I have to say it. Autopilot is the app. The actual investment advice comes from Autopilot Advisers, LLC. If you want the full legal version of anything in here, it's on our disclaimer page.

Who they are

Prof. Harold Tan publishes two Portfolios on Autopilot as an independent Pilot.

The Portfolios, and what each one says it does

The AI Bottleneck Portfolio is described around one idea: own the bottlenecks, not the applications. Rather than chasing large-cap chips, cloud platforms or whatever AI name is trending, it targets the scarce infrastructure layer that AI winners have to consume and few can replicate, selected for hard-to-replicate technology, capital-intensive supply chains and scarce inputs. The description says its sources are public company filings, earnings calls, investor presentations, industry research, semiconductor supply-chain analysis, energy and grid infrastructure data and Bitcoin network research, and that it is not generated by a black-box model or a short-term trading signal.

Uncle Sam's Checkbook is described as following federal spending into public companies, across national security priorities, semiconductor reshoring, AI infrastructure, grid modernization, nuclear power, defense technology, cyber, autonomy and space. Its stated sources are federal spending and contract award databases, public program announcements, official agency releases, company annual and quarterly filings for federal revenue exposure, and earnings calls for backlog and guidance. The description is explicit that it follows public spending signals rather than any individual's trades.

What to check before you follow

Both are concentrated theses about how a specific part of the economy will develop. A thesis can be right about the direction and wrong about the timing, for longer than you expect to wait.

A government-spending Portfolio is exposed to policy and budget changes, which are not predictable from filings.

Read the Portfolio's own description in the app, because that's the Pilot's statement of method. Look at the worst decline rather than the return, because that's the number that decides whether you hold on. Check how often it changes, since turnover costs money and creates taxable events in a taxable account. And check the fee at your balance, which is arithmetic in What Autopilot's fee actually means at your balance.

How following works

You pick the Portfolio, connect the brokerage you already use, and allocate money. You give Autopilot Advisers limited authority to send orders to the account you already have. When the Portfolio changes, we send them and your broker fills them. The money stays put.

What it costs

A flat cash subscription, not a percentage of your balance. Per our Form CRS dated February 2026, Basic Tier has no Base Advisory and Licensing Fee, and Premium Tier is $29.99 to $199.99 a quarter or $99.99 to $699.99 a year. Pilot subscriptions are separate and add on if you follow more than one Portfolio. Because it's a flat dollar amount, it's a bigger share of a small account than a big one, so do the math at your balance.

Frequently asked questions

Harold Tan portfolio

Two Portfolios on Autopilot: one targeting scarce AI infrastructure bottlenecks rather than application companies, and one following federal spending into public companies.

Prof Harold Tan Autopilot

He publishes as an independent Pilot and Autopilot Advisers manages the Portfolios, which run in the brokerage account you already have.

How can I follow Harold Tan's portfolio in my own brokerage?

Pick the Portfolio, connect your brokerage, allocate money. When the Portfolio changes we send the orders and your broker fills them.

AI Bottleneck Portfolio

Described as owning the scarce infrastructure layer AI winners must consume rather than the trending AI names, chosen for hard-to-replicate technology, capital-intensive supply chains and scarce inputs.

Start Investing

Since Autopilot Advisers is an SEC-registered investment adviser, we have to put disclaimers on stuff like this. They're below, and the full version is on our disclaimer page.


Disclosures

© Autopilot Holdings Corporation 2026 — All rights reserved. “Autopilot” refers to Autopilot Holdings Corporation and its wholly-owned, and separately managed subsidiaries, including Autopilot Advisers, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser. All investing is subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested, and past performance is not indicative of future results. View our Customer Relationship Summary and other important information at joinautopilot.com/disclaimer.

This information is provided by Autopilot for educational and illustrative purposes only and is not a recommendation, an offer to sell or the solicitation to buy any security. Autopilot relies on information from various sources believed to be reliable, including information from Clients, Pilots and other third parties, but cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of that information. Autopilot does not provide tax or legal advice and you are encouraged to consult with professionals before making investment decisions.

Autopilot is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by the companies listed, described, or featured on its site. Company logos or trademarks used do not imply endorsement and are the property of their respective owners.

Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Past performance does not guarantee future results. You should carefully consider your investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon before investing through Autopilot.

Autopilot Advisers, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser. Registration as an investment adviser does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Additional information about Autopilot is available in our Form ADV Part 2A, available at adviserinfo.sec.gov or joinautopilot.com/adv.

Autopilot provides limited investment advisory services focused on Portfolio selection and suitability assessment. Our services are not intended to replace comprehensive financial planning. We recommend consulting with a qualified financial advisor regarding your complete financial situation.

This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice and should not be relied upon as the basis for any investment decision. You should consult with qualified professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not provide tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult with qualified tax and legal professionals regarding your specific circumstances.

Autopilot does not hold client assets. All investments are held at the brokerage firm you select and connect to Autopilot. Your brokerage firm is responsible for trade execution, custody, and reporting. Autopilot is not responsible for your broker-dealer’s services, fees, or execution quality.

Autopilot’s services depend on technology systems, third-party APIs, and internet connectivity. System outages, API disruptions, or connectivity issues may temporarily affect service availability or trade execution timing.

Client account holdings are designed to track the Portfolio you’ve selected, but your actual holdings and performance may differ from the Portfolio due to execution timing, market conditions, brokerage capacity constraints, fractional share availability, and other factors outside Autopilot’s control.

For Portfolios inspired by publicly disclosed trading activity, there may be a delay between when a Pilot executes a trade and when that trade becomes publicly available and is incorporated into the Portfolio. This timing delay may affect the suitability or performance of trades when executed in client accounts.

Prof. Harold Tan is an independent Pilot and is not an employee or affiliate of Autopilot. Portfolios published by Pilots are managed by Autopilot Advisers, LLC. Listing is not an endorsement of a Pilot or strategy. Concentrated thematic strategies carry heightened risk of loss, and strategies tied to government spending are exposed to policy and budget changes. Fee amounts are quoted from Form CRS dated February 2026 and may change.