Elon Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares for Every American Child

Elon Musk has announced his intention to give one SpaceX share to every child in America next year, a commitment that would represent a significant personal financial undertaking, estimated to be around $10.7 billion (£8.1 billion).

The pledge was made on Musk's social media platform, X, where he stated, "Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many." He did not, however, provide specific details regarding the implementation or funding of this initiative.

Musk, who is the chief executive of both SpaceX and Tesla, currently owns approximately 4.8 billion SpaceX shares. Based on the closing price on October 18, 2026, each share was valued at $146. If the plan proceeds as stated, it would involve distributing shares to an estimated 73 million children across the United States.

This announcement follows a similar commitment from the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, which revealed plans to allocate 5% of its shares to a new "public benefit" fund. Anthropic indicated this fund could facilitate substantial donations to non-profit organizations or direct distributions to specific demographics.

Musk's proposal to distribute shares directly to the public appears to be a response to Anthropic's announcement, with Musk advising, "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public," and subsequently declaring, "This is what I will be doing."

Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department has been moving to automatically enroll millions of individuals under 18 into so-called "Trump Accounts." Children born between the beginning of 2025 and the end of 2028 are slated to receive a one-time government contribution of $1,000.

SpaceX is scheduled to release its third-quarter earnings this week. The company, which made its market debut in June, is projected to report revenues of $12.74 billion, an increase from the $7.8 billion reported in the second quarter. Investors will be closely observing the impact of increased AI spending on the company's revenue, amid wider concerns about substantial capital expenditures in the technology sector.

Despite a strong IPO, SpaceX shares have experienced volatility in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Tesla is anticipating a rise in deliveries for the first time since 2023, with analysts projecting approximately $27.88 billion in revenue for the automaker. Tesla has indicated that its capital spending will exceed $25 billion this year, and its stock has seen a decline of about 17% year-to-date.