Musk Says He Will Give a SpaceX Share to Every Child in America

Elon Musk said on Monday that he will give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in America next year, a pledge that would be worth about 10.5 billion dollars at the current share price if it covers every American under 18.

"Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America," Musk wrote on X on Monday, October 19, 2026. "This will be the first of many."

Musk gave no details on how the shares would reach tens of millions of children, when in 2027 the transfers would happen, or whether every child would be eligible. CNN reported that it is not clear how the shares would be distributed or whether all children would qualify. Investopedia reported the same gap: Musk did not say how or when the transfer would happen.

The size of the pledge

SpaceX began trading publicly in June 2026, in what CNN described as the biggest initial public offering in history. Its shares closed on Friday at about 146 dollars. CNN put the value of the company at about 2 trillion dollars.

The United States Census Bureau counts roughly 73 million people under the age of 18 in the country. At Friday's closing price, one share for each of them would be worth about 10.7 billion dollars, CNN calculated. Investopedia, using census data and the same closing price, put the first gift at about 10.5 billion dollars.

Musk is the biggest holder of SpaceX shares. Counting unvested awards and stock options, he owns nearly 50 percent of the company's equity, Investopedia reported. The shares for the pledge would come from his own holdings, so the gift would be a transfer of existing shares, not new shares issued by the company.

SpaceX shares were up about 1 percent in premarket trading on Monday morning, Investopedia reported.

A reply to Anthropic

The pledge came hours after Anthropic, a rival artificial intelligence company, announced on Sunday that it will commit at least 5 percent of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund. CNN reported the stake is worth 48 billion dollars at the company's latest private valuation. Anthropic said the fund could make large donations to nonprofit organizations or direct distributions to specific groups, and could help soften the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs.

Musk answered on X with a different approach. "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public," he wrote. "This is what I will be doing."

Both announcements land at a hard moment for the industry. AI companies face public anger over data centers, safety warnings about their own products, and fears that the technology will push people out of jobs.

Not the first share scheme for children

The idea is already federal policy in a smaller form. This month the Treasury Department automatically signed up millions of children under 18 to Trump Accounts, a new federal savings and investment vehicle, CNN reported. Children born between the start of 2025 and the end of 2028 are eligible for a one time government contribution of 1,000 dollars.

Musk did not say whether his gift would use Trump Accounts or any other program. SpaceX reports quarterly results on Tuesday and Tesla on Wednesday, Reuters reported.