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One of the first people to access a potentially groundbreaking new feature on X isn't perhaps who you might expect, yet a famous Hollywood star has used it to turn a measly $42 donation into over $200,000 for charity.
There are a lot of people that Elon Musk has clashed with on social media over the years, many of which frequently trade insults on the tech mogul's very own social media platform.
Between longtime rival Sam Altman and famous horror author Stephen King, Musk's strained 'relationship' with Star Trek icon William Shatner appear tame in comparison, and that has led the pair to work on an unexpected project together.
Musk boldly claimed when he purchased the site back in 2022 that he wanted to make X, then Twitter, the 'everything app' — and a key part of that was the integration of financial and banking services.
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While many rightfully might not be willing to store their life savings on a platform operated by Musk, the feature known as 'X Money' is set to launch in the coming weeks and has already had a rather notable beta tester.
Referencing the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy's deliniation of '42' as the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything, Musk gifted Shatner $42 to open up his X Money account, yet the science fiction star turned that into something much greater.
As reported by Business Insider, Shatner is known for his charitable contributions each year with the Hollywood Charity Horse Show, yet 2026's edition had already had an unexpected boost thanks to Shatner's involvement in X Money.
He offered people the opportunity to secure their early position in the service by 'selling' the money he'd received from Musk, asking people to donate at least $1,000 for a single dollar in return.
I will probably put up the X Money Checks in the next day or two. $200 donation you get $1.00 check from my X money account.
— William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) April 1, 2026
Wait for the checks to be put up. 😉
"I say, great, I've got $42 from Elon Musk," Shatner revealed in an interview with Business Insider. "I'll sell each of those dollars."
He was only expecting to raise the 'minimum' amount – $42,000 – from this fundraising activity, but he's actually achieved far more with the total donations close to $200,000 at the time of writing.
This is due to gift of additional funds from both Musk himself and other staff at X, which allowed the 95-year-old actor to continue selling the money to willing individuals.
His annual charity drives usually raise between $300,000 and $500,000 each year, so earning two thirds of that lower figure already before the event has already started is certainly a massive move that could make a big difference.
