Elon Musk says "giving the shares directly to the public" rather than Anthropic's fund

On Monday, Elon Musk said on X that he would give one SpaceX share to every American child next year, describing it as the first of several such moves, though he did not specify eligibility, timing, or how the transfers would work. The pledge came hours after Anthropic announced a Public Benefit Fund that would initially commit 5% of its equity, subject to shareholder approval, with up to 2% more tied to valuation gains; the fund could support charities or direct payments to people affected by AI-related job disruption. In an exchange with Anthropic, Musk indicated he favored distributing shares to individuals rather than using a fund, describing that as his approach. The announcements arrive as AI companies face scrutiny over jobs and safety; at Friday’s SpaceX closing price, the giveaway would be worth about $146 per child.