Elon Musk pledges SpaceX shares to 'every kid in America'

Elon Musk has announced a plan to distribute one SpaceX share to every child in America starting in 2027. This initiative, which the billionaire entrepreneur indicated would be the first of multiple such endeavors, is estimated to represent a value exceeding $10 billion, considering current SpaceX share prices and the approximately 72 million children in the U.S. However, precise details regarding the logistics of the giveaway, including eligibility requirements and the method of share transfer, have not yet been disclosed. It appears this pledge involves shares from Musk's personal holdings rather than a new issuance from SpaceX itself.

This announcement by Musk closely followed a separate commitment from AI company Anthropic, which pledged to allocate at least 5% of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund, subject to stockholder approval. This fund is designed to be a wholly-owned limited liability company, intending to address the broader societal effects of artificial intelligence, such as potential shifts in the labor market, through contributions to nonprofits or direct distributions to specific groups. In response to Anthropic's plan, Musk publicly advocated for direct distribution of shares to the public, rather than through an intermediary fund.