Elon Musk announced on October 19, 2026, that he will give one of his SpaceX shares to every kid in America next year.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.” The pledge came shortly after Anthropic said it would commit 5% of its shares to a public-benefit fund; Musk replied that he preferred giving shares directly to the public and that this is what he would do.
Key points from coverage by outlets including the WSJ, CNN, CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg, and Business Insider:
In short: Musk has publicly committed to giving one SpaceX share per American child next year as the start of further such gifts. Implementation details are still emerging.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.” The pledge came shortly after Anthropic said it would commit 5% of its shares to a public-benefit fund; Musk replied that he preferred giving shares directly to the public and that this is what he would do.
Key points from coverage by outlets including the WSJ, CNN, CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg, and Business Insider:
- There are roughly 72–73 million people under 18 in the U.S. (Census estimates). At SpaceX’s recent share price of about $146, the gift would be worth roughly $10.5–10.7 billion.
- The shares would come from Musk’s personal holdings. He owns billions of SpaceX shares (around a 36–48% stake depending on how options and other awards are counted), so the amount is a small fraction of his stake.
- SpaceX went public in June 2026 (ticker SPCX). The company is now publicly traded, which makes share transfers more straightforward than when it was private.
- Exact eligibility rules, timing within 2027, and the distribution method have not been fully detailed by Musk. Reports and statements from Trump and others indicate the shares are expected to go into Trump Accounts (tax-advantaged investment accounts created for U.S. children). Musk thanked people involved with the accounts for helping enable the plan.
In short: Musk has publicly committed to giving one SpaceX share per American child next year as the start of further such gifts. Implementation details are still emerging.
