Musk: “I’ll give SpaceX shares to 72 million U.S. children” ... a massive 15 trillion won pledge

[Lee Byung-chul, Financial News correspondent in New York] Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, said he would give one share of SpaceX stock to every child in the United States next year. The gift plan, targeting about 72 million U.S. children under 18, is worth about $10.5 billion (about 15 trillion won). The announcement came shortly after AI company Anthropic said it would contribute part of its equity to a public-benefit fund, drawing attention to the debate over how companies should return their wealth to society.
According to CNBC on the 19th (local time), Musk announced the plan that day on X, formerly known as Twitter, to give one share of SpaceX stock to each child in the United States. He stressed, “This will be the first of many plans to come.” He did not disclose specific details about how or when the shares would be distributed.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the country had about 72 million people under 18 as of July 1 last year. At SpaceX’s closing price of $146.03 per share on the 16th, the total value of the gift would be about $10.5 billion.
Musk is SpaceX’s largest shareholder. According to a disclosure filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last August, Musk owns about 4.8 billion SpaceX shares. Including stock awards that have not yet vested and stock options, the total is about 6.4 billion shares, equivalent to 48.4% of the company.
The announcement began with Musk’s response to Anthropic’s plan to establish a public-benefit fund. The previous day, Anthropic announced plans to contribute 5% of its shares to a new public-benefit fund and to increase the contribution as the company’s valuation rises.
Subject to shareholder approval, Anthropic plans to contribute an initial 5% stake and allow an additional 2% stake to be contributed at the board’s discretion each time the company’s valuation rises 50% above a certain threshold. The fund is intended not only to support nonprofits and provide direct assistance to certain groups, but also to address job displacement and labor-market shocks resulting from the spread of AI.
In response, Musk replied to Anthropic’s post on X, “I recommend distributing the shares directly to the public.” He then announced plans to distribute shares in the same way himself.
Musk has also drawn attention recently for making large political donations ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. Since last July, he has donated at least $276 million to groups affiliated with the Republican Party, making him the biggest political donor in this midterm election.
In particular, last September he donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC that supports Republican Senate races. The two donations—$75 million and $83 million—are considered among the largest political contributions in U.S. history. 




[email protected] Correspondent Lee Byung-chul Reporter