Musk says SpaceX share plan could give one share to each US child

Musk’s proposal and what remains unclear

The Economic Times reports that Elon Musk has pledged to give one SpaceX share to each American child, but he has not explained how the plan would work. The article says he has not addressed basic details such as who would be eligible, when any transfer would happen, what regulatory steps might be involved, or whether the stock would go directly to children or be held in a trust.

SpaceX’s business and Musk’s ownership

The article describes SpaceX as one of the world’s most valuable private companies, with operations in commercial rocket launches, satellite internet through Starlink and human spaceflight. It says Musk is SpaceX’s largest shareholder, with about a 48.4% stake as of June 30.

Reported size of Musk’s holdings

According to reports cited by the article and recent regulatory filings, Musk’s SpaceX holdings include about 6.42 billion shares in total. Those holdings are said to include 849.5 million Class A shares and 3.92 billion Class B shares held through trusts for which he serves as trustee. The article also says he directly owned about 1.30 billion restricted Class B shares and had rights linked to stock options covering another 350 million Class B shares.

Estimated cost of the giveaway

The Economic Times says the U.S. has just over 72 million people under age 18, based on Census Bureau data. It cites an Axios report saying that if each child received one SpaceX share valued at $146.03, the total would be more than $10.5 billion. The article says that figure reflects the closing price on Friday, and that the final amount would depend on how many people qualify, the share price at distribution and the transfer terms.

Share of Musk’s wealth and related reporting

The article says Musk is the world’s richest person, with estimated wealth of more than $900 billion, and gives a figure of $908.5 billion. On that basis, it says a $10.5 billion distribution would amount to about 1.16% of his fortune. The Economic Times also reports that Musk has not disclosed the full terms of the idea or confirmed how the shares would be distributed. Separately, it says former SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell also pledged to give a share of stock to each of 2 million Trump accounts, and that Fortune reported Treasury rule changes have made stock donations to Trump accounts possible and tax-efficient, though the report said this could tie children’s savings to one company’s fortunes.