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Musk says he will give SpaceX shares to 'every American child'
Space1 min read
Elon Musk says he will give one SpaceX share to every child in the United States next year. The offer is big, but many details are still missing.
What happened
On October 19, Musk posted on X that next year he will give every U.S. child one SpaceX share. He called it the "first of many" rounds. The post got a lot of attention and positive replies.
Key numbers
- About 72 million U.S. people are under 18 (Census Bureau data, as of July 2025).
- SpaceX shares trade at about $146 each, according to Forbes.
- If every child gets one share, the total value would be about $11 billion.
- Musk owns about 4.8 billion SpaceX shares. That rises to 6.4 billion if unpaid awards and stock options are counted. This is about 48.4% of the company.
Why he said it
Musk's offer came one day after AI company Anthropic said it will set aside at least 5% of its shares for a "Community Benefit Fund." That fund would give money to nonprofits or to specific groups of people. Musk said he thinks shares should go straight to the public.
Why it matters
Big tech leaders are under pressure from the public. People worry about AI safety, job losses, and the effects of huge data centers on society and the environment. Gifts like these can change how people see these leaders. But CNBC noted that the plan is still vague. It is not clear how the shares would be shared out, or whether every child would qualify or only some.
What to watch
- How SpaceX and Musk explain how the shares will be given out.
- Whether children must meet any rules to get a share.
- Whether Anthropic's fund and Musk's plan change how other AI companies give back.
Glossary
- SpaceX
- A rocket and space company led by Elon Musk. Its shares began public trading in June.
- Anthropic
- An AI company that announced a fund giving at least 5% of its shares for community benefit.
- X
- A social media website where Musk posted his offer.