Musk says he will give SpaceX shares to children in the U.S. next year

Musk’s announcement

Israel National News reports that Elon Musk said on Monday that he intends to give one share of SpaceX to every child in the United States next year. In a post on X, Musk wrote, “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” and he added, “This will be the first of many.” The outlet says the proposed giveaway is estimated at about $10.5 billion.

Estimated size of the transfer

According to the article, the latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates put the number of children under 18 in the United States at about 72 million. Based on that figure, the plan would require Musk to transfer roughly 72 million SpaceX shares. Israel National News says the valuation uses SpaceX’s closing share price of $146.03 on Friday, October 16. The report adds that the total value could change if the share price differs when any transfers are actually made.

Musk’s holdings and SpaceX background

The article says Business Insider estimates Musk holds about 4.77 billion SpaceX shares outright, not including restricted shares or options, which it says equals roughly 36% of the company’s outstanding stock. The Times is cited as putting his total holdings at about 6.4 billion shares when other equity interests are included. Israel National News says the proposed distribution would be about 1.5% of the shares Musk owns outright, leaving him with around 4.7 billion shares before any other changes.

Wider context and open questions

Israel National News says SpaceX was founded by Musk in 2002 and went public in June 2026. The article describes the company as building and launching rockets and spacecraft, including Falcon 9 and Starship, and operating the Starlink satellite internet network. It says SpaceX’s current market capitalization is about $2 trillion, and that Musk, who also runs Tesla, is the world’s richest person with net worth above $900 billion.

The report says Musk’s announcement follows other child investment efforts, including a previous pledge by SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband, and a recent $6.25 billion commitment by Michael and Susan Dell. It also notes the Trump administration’s tax-advantaged children’s accounts and a $1,000 federal contribution for eligible children born between 2025 and 2028. The article says Musk has not said how the shares would be distributed, what the exact eligibility rules would be, whether the plan would use Trump Accounts, or when in 2027 the transfers would begin.