Musk to give one SpaceX share to every US child next year, worth about $10.5 billion

Elon Musk said on Monday 19 October that he will give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in the United States next year. With about 72 million Americans under 18 and SpaceX stock closing at $146.03 on Friday, the gift would be worth roughly $10.5 billion, CNBC calculated. "This will be the first of many," Musk wrote on X, without saying how the shares would be handed out, when, or to whom exactly.

The numbers

• Musk's holding: about 4.8 billion SpaceX shares, according to an August SEC filing, or 6.4 billion including unvested awards and options, a 48.4% beneficial stake.
• Children in the US: 72 million under 18 as of 1 July 2025, according to Census figures.
• The gift: 72 million shares is about 1.5% of the shares he owns outright.
• One share in rupees: at Friday's close and today's interbank rate, about Rs 40,400. Check the current rate on our USD to PKR page.

Why now: Anthropic's 5% fund

The announcement came a day after Anthropic said it would commit 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund, adding 2% more for every 50% rise in its value above a baseline it has not yet disclosed, subject to shareholder approval. Under Anthropic's post on X, Musk replied: "I recommend giving the shares directly to the public," adding that this is what he would do. Our report on Anthropic's fund has the detail of that plan.

What is still unknown

• How a share would reach a child, who usually cannot hold stock directly, whether through custodial accounts or another channel.
• Whether US citizens only or all children living in the country would qualify.
• Whether the shares could be sold at once or would be locked up.

SpaceX had not commented by the time CNBC published.

Does this affect anyone in Pakistan?

Only children in the United States are covered, so Pakistani-American families there would qualify if the plan goes ahead on Musk's terms; children in Pakistan would not. For anyone here thinking of buying US shares through a broker, remember that profits are taxable; our capital gains tax calculator shows how the rules apply.