The pledge
Elon Musk announced on X early on Monday, 19 October 2026, that he will give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in the United States in 2027. He called it the first of many such gifts but gave no further detail on how the plan would work. Reports note the post did not say whether 'child' covers everyone under 18 or another group, nor what would follow after 2027. Census figures cited by Europa Press and EL PAÍS put the under-18 population at about 72 million, while AGI cites 73 million for 2024. At Friday's closing price of $146.03, one share for each of them would be worth roughly $10.5 billion.
Musk's stake and fortune
Musk holds a very large position in the company, and figures vary by count. One count gives him about 4.8 billion shares worth more than $700 billion, rising to roughly 6.4 billion with options and incentives. Another cites 6.42 billion shares disclosed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in mid-August, and says he has held more than 82% of the voting power since the stock market debut. Forbes data gives him a 38% stake. Bloomberg estimates his total fortune at roughly $900 billion, mostly in SpaceX and Tesla shares.
SpaceX's market value and quarterly results
SpaceX went public in June, raising $85.7 billion in the largest IPO in history. Shares rose above $200 at their peak and have since slipped below $150. Analysts quoted by RP Online put the company's valuation at $1.9 trillion and question it, since rocketry is a comparatively small part of the business. For the second quarter of 2026 SpaceX reported a loss of $541 million, a 46.3% improvement on the $1,008 million loss a year earlier. Quarterly revenue reached $7,814 million, up 92% year on year, but the first-half loss still totals $5,488 million, 257% above the same period of 2025. The company is due to publish third-quarter results on Tuesday, 20 October.
Shotwell donation and the midterm backdrop
In July, SpaceX executive Gwynne Shotwell announced a donation of one company share to each of about 2 million children with investment accounts under the presidential 'Invest America' program. The new pledge resembles the Trump Accounts scheme, which gives children investment accounts and a $1,000 federal deposit for those born between 2025 and 2028. Musk's announcement comes two weeks before the US midterm elections. Trump promised in September a 'dividend' of $5,000 for every citizen if Republicans keep control of Congress. Musk is backing the Republicans with several hundred million dollars in the current campaign, and polls suggest Democrats have a good chance of retaking the House.
- SpaceX completes IPO, raising $85.7 billion
- Gwynne Shotwell announces share donation to about 2 million children with investment accounts
- Trump promises a $5,000 dividend per citizen if Republicans keep Congress
- Musk announces one SpaceX share for every US child in 2027
Trigger and open questions
RP Online suggests the announcement may have followed an Anthropic statement, made over the weekend of 17-18 October, that the AI company would place 5% of its shares in a fund for the public good. Musk then wrote on X that he recommended transferring shares directly to the public. The post gave no detail on eligibility or on how the plan would be carried out. EL PAÍS notes that handing out shares on this scale would barely dent Musk's holding. RP Online also points to continuing doubts about the valuation, which it says reflects in part the market's expectations for Musk's promised advances in artificial intelligence.