Elon Musk Says He Will Give Every Child in America a Share of SpaceX
Elon Musk says he plans to give a piece of his rocket company to every child in the United States, and he says it is only the beginning.
"Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many," Musk wrote in a post on X on Monday. He did not say how the shares would be distributed or offer other details about how the pledge would work, CBS News reported.
How Much Would It Be Worth?
SpaceX shares closed at $146.03 on Friday. There are about 73 million children in the U.S., according to Census Bureau data cited by CBS News.
At Friday's price, one share for each of those children would add up to roughly $10.7 billion. The actual value would depend on the stock price when the shares are handed out.
For Musk, that would be a small slice of his fortune. He is the world's richest person, with a net worth of about $904 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He held about 4.8 billion SpaceX shares when the company went public earlier this year, a debut that briefly made him the world's first trillionaire.
SpaceX stock, which trades under the ticker SPCX, rose about 0.9% to $147.39 in premarket trading Monday after the announcement, Benzinga reported. The company is set to report quarterly earnings Tuesday.
The Trump Accounts Connection
Musk's post comes as billionaires have been pouring money into Trump Accounts, the new tax-advantaged investment accounts for U.S. children under 18. The accounts work similarly to a 401(k), and President Donald Trump has said the Treasury Department automatically created accounts for more than 60 million children, bringing the total to nearly 70 million.
Musk did not say whether his shares would go into those accounts, or which of his shares he would use. But others in his orbit have already used them. In July, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband pledged one SpaceX share to Trump Accounts for more than 2 million children, a gift valued at about $325 million at the time.
Michael and Susan Dell have also contributed $250 each to the accounts of 25 million children.
Big Questions Remain
The pledge raises plenty of practical questions. It is unclear exactly who would qualify, how shares would be valued when they are given out and what the tax consequences might be for families, BeInCrypto noted.
There are also logistical hurdles, including how minors would hold the shares and whether regulators would need to sign off on the transfers.
Supporters have praised the idea as a new kind of wealth sharing that could connect young people to the future of technology. Critics have questioned how the transfers would actually work and whether children should be holding stock before adulthood.
A Trend Among Tech Giants
Musk's announcement came a day after AI company Anthropic said it would commit 5% of its shares to a new "public benefit" fund.
SpaceX, which builds reusable rockets and runs the Starlink satellite internet service, is one of the most valuable companies in the world. Musk is its largest shareholder and controls roughly 85% of its voting power, according to Benzinga.
It has been a busy stretch for the company. Last month, its Starship rocket reached Earth orbit for the first time, and SpaceX thrusters recently helped power the flying Tesla Roadster that Musk unveiled last week.
For now, families will have to wait for more details. Musk said the first round of shares would arrive next year, and he promised it would not be the last.
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