Elon Musk wants to give every American kid a piece of SpaceX. History shows what happens when millions become shareholders overnight.
Elon Musk has announced plans to donate shares of his company, SpaceX, to every child in the United States, a move estimated to cost over $10 billion. The shares would be distributed through government-linked 'Trump Accounts,' raising questions about the intersection of private wealth, public policy, and corporate ownership.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a novel and potentially disruptive approach to wealth distribution and corporate governance, involving a massive transfer of private equity to the public.
Elon Musk says he'll give every child in the US a piece of his space company, SpaceX. Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images Elon Musk said he's going to give every child in the US a share of his space company, SpaceX. That would amount to $10.7 billion, based on SpaceX's stock price and the 72 million US children. Governments and billionaires have previously explored ways to spread corporate ownership. Christmas came early: Elon Musk wants American children to own stock in his space company, SpaceX , next year. Musk wrote on X around 1 a.m. Monday that he planned to make the donation next year — "the first of many," he said. SpaceX went public this summer. Giving one share to each of the estimated 72 million US children would cost roughly $10.7 billion at SpaceX's closing price of $147.92 on Friday.
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