SpaceX stock donation discussed for Trump child accounts
Semafor reported that SpaceX and U.S. officials have discussed a possible stock gift tied to new savings accounts for children.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
4 min read
SpaceX has discussed donating stock to new child savings accounts promoted by President Donald Trump, according to Semafor. The talks matter because the accounts are being positioned by the administration as a major family policy, while a stock gift from a top technology company could tie the program more closely to gains from the AI economy.
Semafor, citing a person familiar with talks involving the Trump administration, reported that SpaceX has spoken with U.S. officials about a potential donation to the accounts. It remains unclear whether SpaceX will make a donation or how any gift would affect account values, according to the report.
The accounts, called Trump Accounts, are scheduled to launch on July 4. According to the Trump Accounts program materials cited by Ars Technica, 6 million children have been signed up so far.
The accounts are a new form of individual retirement account for children under 18 who have a Social Security number. Parents can enroll children through a Trump Accounts app, and children born from 2025 through 2028 can receive a one-time $1,000 federal contribution, according to the program description.
Families can contribute as much as $5,000 a year, according to the Trump Accounts page. The program says the money can be invested in American companies selected by the government as proven performers, and the app shows users which stocks are held and how they are performing.
Some private money has already been pledged. Ars Technica reported that billionaire Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, have donated $6.25 billion, while Semafor reported that companies including BlackRock and Bank of America have agreed to match employee donations.
Broader AI wealth proposals
The possible SpaceX donation comes as Trump officials have been weighing ways to direct some of the value created by AI companies toward public benefits, according to Semafor and NOTUS. Semafor reported that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has supported the idea of a sovereign wealth fund funded by leading AI firms.
NOTUS reported earlier this month that senior U.S. officials had discussed the federal government acquiring shares in some AI companies. According to NOTUS, those talks focused on firms voluntarily giving shares to the government, with returns potentially used for public purposes such as household dividends or added value for Trump Accounts.
NOTUS said its sources did not identify the AI companies involved, though the outlet confirmed Anthropic was not among them. Ars Technica reported that SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Semafor’s reporting.
Questions over conflicts and access
A SpaceX donation could carry political weight because Elon Musk and Trump had a public falling-out last year, according to Ars Technica. Ars also reported that SpaceX completed a record-setting IPO this month and is valued at $2.2 trillion, with investors focused in part on its AI potential.
Yahoo Finance reported that SpaceX shares briefly dipped amid speculation about a Trump Accounts donation. The outlet also reported that Musk recently rejected claims that government backing helped build Tesla and SpaceX, saying government incentives amounted to less than 2 percent of the companies’ value.
Policy questions remain over any plan in which the government holds equity in companies it also regulates. NOTUS reported that such arrangements could create uncertainty around regulation, bailout incentives and whether a legal mechanism exists for AI companies to transfer equity to the federal government.
Nat Purser, a senior policy advocate for AI policy at Public Knowledge, told NOTUS that public officials should be wary of arrangements that could make the government less willing to enforce safety rules if enforcement reduced the value of its own investment. Purser said the government acting as both shareholder and regulator would create substantial conflicts of interest.
Ars Technica also reported that some parents have complained in Apple App Store reviews about problems using the Trump Accounts app, including sign-up errors, verification issues and limited support. On Reddit, Ars reported, comments on a SpaceX thread about the possible donation were largely critical, with one commenter arguing that the accounts would favor wealthier households already able to save for children.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.