Elon Musk has announced plans to give every child in America a share of SpaceX in 2027, a proposal that could involve tens of millions of recipients and billions of dollars in stock. Based on current estimates, the proposed giveaway could involve around 72 million young people, according to a Forbes report. The pledge came hours after the billionaire criticised artificial intelligence company Anthropic for planning to place part of its equity in a public benefit fund, suggesting instead that shares should go directly to people. Musk has not explained who would qualify, how the transfers would work or whether the plan would use existing investment accounts for children.
In the X (formerly Twitter) post on October 19, Musk said he would give one of his SpaceX shares to every American child in 2027, describing the proposed distribution as the first of several such initiatives. Forbes reported, the US Census Bureau estimated that about 21.1% of the country’s 341.8 million residents were children, equivalent to roughly 72.1 million people. Using the Census Bureau’s estimate of approximately 72.1 million people under 18 and the reported premarket share price of $147.52 on October 19, the total value would come to around $10.6 billion if each child received one share at that price. As reported by Forbes, an SEC filing, an August filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission reported that he held 6.42 billion SpaceX shares as of June 30. A distribution of 72 million shares would represent slightly more than 1% of that reported total. On October 18, the company said it would commit at least 5% of its shares to a newly established Anthropic Public Benefit Fund. Earlier in 2026, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell and her husband pledged to contribute one SpaceX share each to the accounts of more than two million American children under the programme. Forbes estimated his net worth at $908.5 billion in its October 19 report, placing him at the top of its real-time billionaire rankings. The report also noted that SpaceX shares rose by more than 1% to $147.52 in premarket trading that Monday, alongside a broader recovery in US stock futures following the previous week’s market losses.
That calculation is an estimate, not a confirmed valuation of the proposed giveaway.
The US government’s Trump Accounts programme could provide relevant context for Musk’s proposal, although he has not said whether his plan is connected to it. He did not set out a timetable or explain whether the offer would cover all children living in the country or only those meeting particular eligibility requirements. That figure includes citizens and non-citizens, and Musk has not clarified whether his pledge would extend to both groups. There is also no published explanation of how the shares would reach their intended recipients. The announcement does not establish whether parents would need to register their children, whether the stock would be held in dedicated accounts or whether any restrictions would apply to the eventual sale of the shares. The financial scale of the pledge depends on the number of children who qualify and the value of SpaceX stock when the transfers take place. SpaceX shares can change in value, and the number of eligible recipients has not been established. The final cost would also depend on the arrangements used to distribute the stock. The figure included stock held through trusts for which he serves as trustee, restricted shares and shares issuable through options. The pledge followed a separate announcement by Anthropic, the company behind the Claude artificial intelligence chatbot. The proposed fund is intended to support charitable organisations and could also make direct distributions to selected groups of people. Anthropic described it as a wholly owned limited liability company, setting out a structure through which the company could direct resources towards public benefit activities. Musk responded to the announcement on X, “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public. The initiative provides a framework for holding investments on behalf of young people. The proposed distribution would come from a company in which Musk has a significant financial interest. His wealth is closely tied to his business holdings, including SpaceX and Tesla. The quoted price provides a reference point for estimating the possible value of the giveaway, but it does not establish what the shares would be worth when they are distributed. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Musk’s personal holdings appear large enough to accommodate a transfer of this size, based on figures disclosed earlier in the year.