Elon Musk has pledged to give every child in the United States one share in his aerospace and artificial intelligence company SpaceX next year, potentially handing out shares worth an estimated US$10.5 billion (RM44.5 billion) if all eligible children receive one.
The world’s richest person announced the plan in a post on X on Monday, October 19, writing: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America.” He added that this would be the “first of many”.
However, Musk did not explain when the shares would be distributed in 2027, how eligibility would be determined or how the transfer would work.
His reference to “my SpaceX shares” suggests the giveaway would come from his personal holdings rather than newly issued company shares.
According to the US Census Bureau, about 72.1 million people in the country are under 18, representing 21.1% of the population. At the reported premarket share price of US$147.52, distributing one share to each of them would cost approximately US$10.6 billion (RM44.9 billion).
The figure is only an estimate, as Musk has yet to clarify whether the pledge covers all children living in the US, including non-citizens, or specify other eligibility requirements.
Musk’s Announcement Follows Criticism Of Anthropic
The pledge came around 12 hours after Musk appeared to criticise artificial intelligence company Anthropic’s plan to allocate at least 5% of its shares to a newly established public benefit fund.
Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI assistant, announced on October 18 that the fund could make substantial donations to non-profit organisations or provide direct distributions to selected groups.
Musk responded on X by recommending that Anthropic distribute its shares directly to the public instead.
It remains unclear whether his SpaceX pledge was planned beforehand or was prompted by Anthropic’s announcement.
SpaceX Shares And Children’s Investment Accounts
Earlier this year, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell and her husband pledged to contribute one SpaceX share each to the Trump Accounts of more than two million American children.
The US Treasury Department subsequently expanded the programme to allow donations of individual company shares. Under the rules, however, parents and children must hold donated stocks for five years.
It is not yet known whether Musk’s proposal will be connected to the Trump Accounts programme.
How Much Is Musk’s Fortune Worth?
Forbes estimated Musk’s net worth at US$908.5 billion (approximately RM3.85 trillion), making him the world’s richest person. His wealth has reportedly exceeded US$1 trillion on several occasions this year following SpaceX’s public market debut.
An August filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission showed that Musk held approximately 6.42 billion SpaceX shares as of June 30, including shares held through trusts, restricted stock and shares issuable through options.
If he gives away 72 million shares, the amount would represent slightly more than 1% of his reported holdings.
Despite the headline-making pledge, key details of the proposed giveaway remain unconfirmed, including the distribution process, eligibility criteria and whether the shares would be subject to restrictions.
