Musk’s SpaceX share pledge draws praise from Trump

Musk’s pledge and Trump’s response

According to Insider, Elon Musk said on X that next year he will give one SpaceX share to every child in America, adding that it would be the first of several such gifts. President Donald Trump responded on Monday with public praise, calling Musk a “legendary friend” and describing the offer as an act of “incredible generosity.” Trump said the shares would be delivered through Trump Accounts, the investment accounts created during his administration.

The scale and estimated value

Insider reports that there are about 72 million children in the United States. With SpaceX stock closing Monday at roughly $148 per share, giving one share to each child would total about $10.6 billion. The article says that estimate could change because the final value will depend on SpaceX’s share price when the stock is transferred.

Trump’s earlier comments and Musk’s political role

The article says Trump had already suggested in July that Musk might give SpaceX stock to Trump Accounts, while also describing their earlier conflict as a “little dispute.” Insider notes that SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband had already promised shares for more than 2 million children’s accounts.

Insider also describes a rocky relationship between the two men. Musk was one of Trump’s largest donors in the 2024 election, spending more than $200 million to support him. In the early months of Trump’s return to the White House, Musk was close enough to the president to be nicknamed “First Buddy.” He later led the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency and left that role in May 2025.

Recent tensions and renewed contact

After leaving DOGE, Musk criticized Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” calling it a “disgusting abomination,” according to Insider. The article says Musk has since returned to major Republican political spending ahead of the midterms, giving about $276 million since July. That total includes $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which later sent matching amounts to a Texas group backing Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Senate bid.

Insider says Musk and Trump have recently been seen together several times. Trump gave Musk the National Medal of Science earlier this month, and Musk sat at the president’s table at a state dinner when China’s leader Xi Jinping visited the US in September.

What remains unclear

The article says Musk’s pledge is still only a promise. He has not said who would count as a child under the plan, how he would place shares into every eligible account, or when the transfers would take place next year. Insider notes that if the donation is confirmed, Musk would join other wealthy contributors to the program. The article says Michael and Susan Dell gave $6.25 billion to accounts for 25 million children, with the money first directed to children in lower-income ZIP codes. Trump said Monday that Musk’s promise matched the purpose of the program, writing that it was exactly what was envisioned when Trump Accounts were created.