This Will Be The First Of Many: Elon Musk Promises SpaceX Shares To Every US Child

Elon Musk has pledged to give one SpaceX share to every child in the United States in 2027, a proposed giveaway that could be worth more than $10.5 billion at recent share prices. The billionaire announced the plan on Monday (October 19) in a post on X, writing, “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.”

However, Musk has not explained how the share distribution would work, who would qualify or when the transfers would take place. It also remains unclear whether the proposal would cover every person under 18 or follow a different eligibility criterion.

The United States has approximately 72 million children under 18, according to estimates cited in media reports. At SpaceX's reported closing share price of $146.03 on October 16, distributing one share to each child would amount to roughly $10.5 billion.

Musk disclosed a 48.4 per cent stake in SpaceX in a regulatory filing covering his holdings as of June 30, 2026. The filing reported beneficial ownership of approximately 6.42 billion shares, including shares held through trusts and securities linked to options.

The proposed giveaway would involve transferring shares from Musk's holdings, according to the wording of his announcement. However, the precise number of shares he would need to transfer and the arrangements for completing the distribution have not been disclosed.

Unlike the earlier description of SpaceX as a privately held company, recent reports say the company completed a major public offering in June 2026. Even so, transferring shares to millions of children would require a clear mechanism for establishing ownership and managing any applicable restrictions for minors.

Musk's announcement follows a separate move by AI company Anthropic, which pledged 5 per cent of its shares to a public benefit fund. Musk had criticised the approach and advocated distributing shares directly to the public.

The announcement also comes amid Musk's growing involvement in US politics. He has backed Republican candidates and supported Donald Trump, while his political spending has attracted considerable attention ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.