Elon Musk says he plans to give a SpaceX share to every US child in 2027
Musk says he will distribute one of his shares to each child in the United States next year, but has not explained who would qualify or how the transfers would work.
Elon Musk said on October 19 that he plans to give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in the United States in 2027, a pledge that could affect tens of millions of children. He has not explained how the shares would be distributed or set out eligibility rules, Business Insider reported.
“Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” Musk wrote on X. “This will be the first of many,” he added, without specifying what further distributions he had in mind.
How many children and shares are involved
CNBC cited US Census data showing 72 million children under 18 as of July 1, 2025. An Agence France-Presse report carried by the South China Morning Post put the number at about 73 million, using 2024 Census data. The figures describe different points in time and do not establish how many children would qualify under Musk’s proposal.
Using the 72 million figure and a reported share price of $146.03, CNBC calculated that a share for each child would amount to about $10.5 billion. Business Insider reported a similar estimate. The figure is an estimate of the proposed shares’ value, not an amount Musk said he would distribute in cash.
Musk owns about 4.8 billion SpaceX shares, CNBC reported, citing an August filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Including unvested awards and stock options, CNBC put his holdings at 6.4 billion shares, representing a 48.4% beneficial stake. The proposed one-share allocation per child would therefore draw on a small portion of the shares CNBC attributed to him, though the terms of any transfer have not been announced.
Earlier share pledge and possible structure
Business Insider reported that SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband had previously pledged company shares for more than 2 million children. It was unclear whether Musk’s broader plan would use the Trump Accounts initiative or another structure, the outlet said. Trump Accounts provide eligible children with investment accounts and a $1,000 federal seed deposit for those born from 2025 through 2028.
Musk’s announcement followed a separate exchange about Anthropic’s proposed share donation. In response to that plan, he recommended giving shares directly to the public and said that was what he would do, according to CNBC and The Times of India. Neither remark set out a process for transferring SpaceX shares to children.
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Sources and context
- Elon Musk says he will give SpaceX share to ‘every kid in America’South China Morning Post; Agence France-Presse byline
- Elon Musk says he'll give a SpaceX share to every child in America next yearCNBC
- Elon Musk says he'll give every child in America a share in SpaceXBusiness Insider
- Elon Musk to Dario Amodei: I do not agree with your donation of Anthropic shares; I recommend …The Times of India; TOI Tech Desk
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.