Musk Says He Plans to Give SpaceX Stock to U.S. Children Next Year

Musk’s announced stock gift

Newsweek reports that on Monday, Elon Musk said he intends to give every child in the United States one share of SpaceX stock next year. Based on a reported share price of $146.03 and an estimated 72 million people under 18 in the country, the article says the proposed total comes to about $10.5 billion.

The piece describes Musk as the world’s richest man and says the announcement reflects the scale of his wealth. It also frames him as a public figure whose companies are expected to affect the future that his 14 children, and other children, will inherit.

What the article says about the timing

Newsweek says Musk’s announcement came after Anthropic, a rival artificial intelligence company, said it would set aside 5% of its shares for a public-benefit fund. The article says Musk responded with a proposal to give shares directly to ordinary people instead. It presents the timing as part of a wider competition among major technology figures.

The article also notes that the $10.5 billion figure, while very large, would amount to about 1% of Musk’s reported trillion-dollar fortune. Newsweek says the move may also have practical uses if the shares are distributed through Trump Accounts, a government-backed investment account for children, which could leave millions of young shareholders with an interest in SpaceX’s success.

Questions about gratitude and loyalty

Newsweek argues that the larger issue is whether accepting a gift from Musk should be treated as agreement with his views. The article says a SpaceX share is a financial asset, not a loyalty pledge, and it questions why recipients would need to declare ideological purity before accepting it.

The piece says it is not clear whether the shares would produce affection, loyalty, or political support. It adds that children are not reliable when it comes to gratitude, and suggests that financial help and disagreement can exist at the same time.

Promise versus delivery

Newsweek notes a limitation in Musk’s announcement: he has promised the shares, but has not yet distributed them. Until the stock actually arrives, the article says, children in America have received an announcement rather than the gift itself.

The piece concludes by saying gratitude does not require lifelong obedience, especially because Musk is not an elected official. It says people can accept the stock, thank him, and still disagree with him. The article ends by saying that even if the money arrives, no one should assume that it creates political or personal loyalty.