In short
- Elon Musk pledged to give one SpaceX share to every kid in America in 2027.
- With more than 70 million under-18s in the US, that’s over $10 billion, around 1% of his fortune.
- He hasn’t said how he’ll do it. It all started with a reply to Anthropic on X.
Elon Musk made one of those promises only he makes, overnight on X: he’ll give “every kid in America” a SpaceX share in 2027. He posted it between October 18 and 19, and it’s still not clear how it would actually work.
What exactly did Musk promise?
That in 2027 he’ll give one SpaceX share to every child in the United States. In another post, he said he wants to give the shares “directly to the public” and that this is the “first of many” donations.
How much money is that?
According to TechCrunch, there are more than 70 million Americans under 18. With SpaceX shares at around $146, the gift would come to over $10 billion. Sounds like a lot, but it’s about 1% of Musk’s net worth, which sits around $1 trillion.
Musk owns roughly 849 million Class A SpaceX shares, plus more than 5.5 billion Class B supervoting shares.
Why now?
Because of an exchange with Anthropic on X. The AI company announced it will put 5% of its shares into a public benefit fund after its IPO, to make large donations or hand money directly to certain groups of people.
Musk replied suggesting it give “directly to the public” instead. About four hours later he posted “This is what I will be doing,” and the SpaceX share announcement followed overnight.
How would it work?
That’s the big unknown. Musk didn’t give details. TechCrunch points out that Trump Accounts, Treasury-run savings accounts for children, can accept stock donations from wealthy donors, but there’s no word on whether Musk plans to use them.
There’s also some history to keep in mind: a review by The Economist found most of the Musk Foundation’s spending went to organizations tied to Musk himself.
Why it matters
If you’re in the UK or Australia, no, this one isn’t for you. But the pledge shows how the conversation among tech billionaires is shifting: now they’re competing over who hands out more company stock to the public. If it actually happens, millions of kids would own their first share before finishing school. That “if” matters. With Musk, it’s worth waiting to see it happen.
Quick answers
When would Musk hand out the shares?
In 2027, according to his post. No exact date.
Does it apply outside the US?
No. He only mentioned “every kid in America.”
How much is a SpaceX share worth?
About $146, the figure TechCrunch cites.
Sources: TechCrunch
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