Musk Pledges SpaceX Share to Every Child in America

Elon Musk said Monday that SpaceX will give one share of the company to "every kid in America" next year, a move that follows a similar pledge by rival AI firm Anthropic a day earlier, according to The Associated Press.

What Did Musk Pledge

Musk made the commitment in a social media post responding to Anthropic's Sunday announcement that it would commit 5% of its shares to a new "public benefit" fund, the AP reported. "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public," Musk wrote. He did not detail how the distribution would work, but added, "This will be the first of many."

How Much Is Musk's Pledge Worth

SpaceX shares closed at $146.03 on Friday, the AP reported. With approximately 73 million children under 18 in the United States, the AP calculated the value of Musk's pledge at about $10.66 billion. SpaceX is set to report quarterly earnings on Tuesday, according to the wire service.

The pledge comes against a volatile backdrop for the company's stock. SpaceX made its Wall Street debut in June and briefly made Musk the world's first trillionaire, the AP reported. Shares have since fallen 35.3% from their post-IPO peak, the AP said, a decline that the wire service notes leaves Musk a billionaire rather than a trillionaire.

Why Did Anthropic's Move Prompt This

Anthropic said Sunday the shares it is setting aside will flow into the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, a new internal entity whose value could grow as the shares appreciate, according to the AP. Anthropic was founded as a public benefit corporation by CEO Dario Amodei and five co-founders, a legal structure that lets for-profit companies formally balance financial returns with social impact, the AP reported. The company is also preparing a possible initial public offering as soon as November, after submitting a confidential filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, according to the AP.

How Do Americans View AI's Pace

The dueling pledges land as public unease with artificial intelligence grows. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found 64% of Americans believe AI is developing "too fast," while 27% called the pace "about right" and 8% said it is moving "too slow," the AP reported.

That skepticism follows public remarks last month from Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Musk himself, all of whom said AI development needs to slow down, according to the AP. The wire service reported that the call came after an Anthropic researcher resigned with a warning about the risks the technology poses to humanity. The AP noted that domestic and global competition, profit motives and resistance from President Donald Trump all complicate any coordinated slowdown.

What Else Is Musk Doing This Year

The SpaceX pledge arrives alongside Musk's political spending. The AP reported he has become the largest known donor in this year's midterm elections, giving more than $276 million since July in an effort to protect Republican congressional majorities.

Neither company has released a formal mechanism, eligibility timeline, or custodial structure for distributing shares to minors, and the AP's report did not include additional detail beyond Musk's post.