Musk says SpaceX share giveaway could reach 1.57 million Tennessee children

Musk’s post and the scale of the proposal

The Tennessean reports that Elon Musk, who leads SpaceX and Tesla, announced on X on Oct. 19 that he planned to give every child in America a share of SpaceX. The article says Musk wrote, “This will be the first of many,” though it says it is not clear what he meant by that line. The report adds that he did not explain who would be included or how the shares would be delivered.

What the giveaway could be worth

According to The Tennessean, SpaceX shares were trading at $148.18 in early Oct. 19 trading, after a broader rise in U.S. stock futures following the prior week’s selloff. The article says the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that 21.1% of the country’s roughly 341.8 million residents are under 18, which equals about 72.1 million children. Based on that figure, The Tennessean says Forbes calculated that giving each child a SpaceX share would total about $10.5 billion.

What the report says about Tennessee

The Tennessean says about 21.5% of Tennessee’s population could qualify under Musk’s statement, which the article translates to about 1.57 million children under 18 in the state. The story says that means Tennessee would account for a large share of the potential recipients, but it does not provide a state-by-state distribution plan because Musk did not give one.

Unanswered questions about how it would work

The article says Musk gave no additional details about the proposal, including timing, eligibility standards, or whether the shares would be placed into Trump Accounts. It also says the mechanism for any transfer remains unknown because Musk did not outline the process.

Musk’s reported holdings and the comparison to DOGE checks

The Tennessean reports that an August SEC filing said Musk disclosed owning 6.42 billion SpaceX shares as of June 30, including shares held through trusts where he serves as trustee, restricted stock, and shares that could be issued through options. Forbes said, according to the article, that even a 72 million-share giveaway would amount to just over 1% of those reported holdings.

The report also revisits an earlier idea tied to the Trump administration and Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency in early 2025, when stimulus checks funded by DOGE savings were floated. It says James Fishback, who created the proposal, described a “DOGE dividend” as a refund for taxpaying householders and said it would not be inflationary because it would be funded by DOGE savings rather than deficit spending. The article says Fishback first raised the idea on X, where he suggested Trump and Musk announce such a dividend, and Musk replied, “Will check with the President.” The Tennessean says the proposal never happened, and Congress would have had to approve it before any checks could be sent.