Every child in the United States could soon hold a stake in SpaceX — if the world's richest person keeps his word. Elon Musk has announced that he will gift one share of his space company to every child in America by next year.

72 million shares, $10.5 billion

According to the 2025 census, there are close to 72 million children living in the US. SpaceX shares closed at $146 on Friday, and at that price the total value of the shares to be handed out comes to roughly $10.5 billion.

Writing on X, Musk said: "Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every child in America. It will be the first for many of them."

Per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk's fortune stood at around $904 billion as of Friday. He holds 4.77 billion shares, equivalent to about 36% of SpaceX. The shares earmarked for distribution represent just 1.5% of his portfolio. Still, his hints that similar initiatives may continue have fueled speculation that his control of the company could gradually erode.

Many questions, few answers

Practical details remain unclear. Musk has yet to explain who would qualify for the gift, when the shares would be delivered, or whether they would be placed into government-backed accounts.

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A growing wave of investing in children

The move is not an isolated one. It fits into a broader push built on the idea that starting early in the stock market turns compound returns into a long-term advantage. Earlier this summer, the Trump administration rolled out tax-advantaged investment accounts that attach a $1,000 federal seed fund to every baby born between 2025 and 2028.

The private sector has joined the chain as well: Michael and Susan Dell pledged a total of $6.25 billion to support 25 million children in low-income areas. And in July, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her spouse committed to transferring shares to more than 2 million children.