Trump says Musk’s proposed SpaceX shares would go through Trump Accounts
Musk pledged a SpaceX share to every U.S. child next year, but key details on recipients and distribution remain undisclosed.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
President Donald Trump said Elon Musk’s proposed SpaceX shares through Trump Accounts would be provided through the government-operated savings and investment program for children. The announcement links Musk’s broad pledge to an existing account program, but it does not settle who would qualify or how shares would be transferred.
Musk said on X that he plans to give one of his SpaceX shares to “every kid in America” next year. Trump later thanked Musk in a Truth Social post and said the shares would go to millions of children through Trump Accounts, according to The Verge and the Washington Examiner.
How would Musk’s SpaceX shares go through Trump Accounts?
That remains unclear. CNBC reported that Musk did not provide details on the mechanics of the proposed giveaway. The available announcements do not establish a final age cutoff, a recipient list, or the process for placing shares into accounts.
The uncertainty matters because the wording used in the public statements is broad, while reported child and account totals vary. Musk referred to every child in America. CNBC cited Census data putting the number of U.S. children under 18 at 72 million as of July 1, 2025, while White House figures cited by The Verge said more than 70 million Trump Accounts had been created after about 60 million children were enrolled automatically in October.
Reporting on the program has described Trump Accounts as government-operated savings or investment accounts for children. The Washington Examiner reported that the accounts are held by U.S. citizens under 18, though Musk did not specify an age range for his proposed gift, according to Yahoo Finance.
What could the proposed SpaceX giveaway be worth?
Using 72 million shares and SpaceX’s Friday closing price of $146.03, CNBC estimated the proposal at about $10.5 billion. That is an estimate based on the number of children and a share price at a particular time, rather than a confirmed final gift amount.
Musk said the planned distribution would be the first of many. No shares have been reported as transferred, and neither the public statements nor the reporting described a completed donation.
Other people have announced separate contributions to Trump Accounts. The Verge identified Michael and Susan Dell, Ray and Barbara Dalio, Brad Gerstner and SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell among those who have made such pledges. Yahoo Finance reported separately that Shotwell pledged more than $320 million in SpaceX stock for accounts benefiting more than 2 million children.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.