Elon Musk Pledges $10.5 Billion in SpaceX Shares to Every US Child in Response to Anthropic Fund

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stated on Monday that he intends to give one of his personal SpaceX shares to every child in the United States next year. Based on SpaceX’s closing stock price of $146.03 as of Friday and official census data indicating 72 million children under 18 in the U.S., the total value of this pledge amounts to approximately $10.5 billion. Musk described the initiative on X as "the first of many," though he did not provide immediate details on the logistical execution of the giveaway.

The announcement follows closely after Anthropic revealed plans to commit 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund designed to address potential job displacement caused by AI. In response to Anthropic's post, Musk recommended giving shares directly to the public rather than through an institutional fund, stating that this was precisely what he intended to do. Altimeter Capital founder Brad Gerstner praised the move, suggesting the shares could be distributed via "Trump Accounts" (530A accounts), framing it as a way to make citizens owners in American companies.

While the gesture is significant, Musk’s history of fulfilling large-scale philanthropic pledges is mixed. He previously promised up to $1 billion to OpenAI but contributed only about $38 million before ceasing donations amid leadership disputes. Similarly, a $6 billion pledge to the UN World Food Program contingent on a detailed plan was never executed despite the program providing one. CNBC notes that Musk has also been a major political donor, contributing over $276 million to Republican groups since July 2026. SpaceX remains a private company, though its shares are traded on secondary markets, and Musk holds a beneficial stake of approximately 48.4% according to recent SEC filings.