Exactly how much each child could get as Musk promises one SpaceX share to every child in America

Elon Musk has just revealed that he plans to gift every child in the United States with a share in SpaceX next year.

The tech mogul and CEO of SpaceX took to his own social media platform X, formerly Twitter, today (October 19) to drop the revelation, where he said: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.”

The details of how this will exactly be rolled out have not yet been explained by Musk, with many people taking to the X comment section to share their own reactions to the news.

One user wrote: “Changing my legal name to every kid in America.”

Another said: “I sense massive dilution incoming lmao.”

And a third person added: “Another way to sell SpaceX to the government, since it isn't making money and Elon's toy car didn't deliver.”

How much money will each child get from Elon Musk?

The news has left many people wondering how Musk’s plan will work and just how much money kids across the country can expect to receive.

It is estimated that there are currently around 72 million children under 18 in the US, although it is not clear if Musk intends to include all children in the country under his plans or only those who are US citizens.

If we follow the idea that all children within the US will benefit from the proposal, this could mean that a whopping $10.5 billion worth of shares could be given away.

One share of SpaceX is currently worth around $146, which is the estimated value that each child can expect to receive - although this might have fluctuated by the time they receive it in 2027.

While this might not be much now, the expectation is that these shares should increase in value over time, although it is not clear how much they will be worth when the child turns 18.

It is considered to be a long term investment but, of course, there is always the possibility that the shares could decrease in value too.

This comes after President Donald Trump announced the launch of his Trump Accounts program, which offers American children $1,000 in a tax-advantaged, custodial investment bank account.

Michael and Susan Dell recently revealed that they would be contributing to this initiative by adding $250 to the accounts of children living in low income areas.

SpaceX made history with stock market debut

Earlier this year, SpaceX made history with its stock market debut as it launched the biggest initial public offering (IPO) ever. The company priced its shares at $135 each, raising $75 billion initially before the total increased to $85.7 billion, valuing the business at around $1.77 trillion at its IPO price.

The public listing marked a major moment for Musk, as he was able to retain significant control over the firm, despite opening it up to outside investors.

Musk’s move to donate his shares comes after AI firm Anthropic announced plans to dedicate 5% of its shares to a new fund intended to benefit the public as concerns grow over the potential impact of AI on society.

The company also stated that the fund’s stake could increase by a further 2% for every 50% rise in its valuation, subject to board approval.