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Musk and Anthropic Pledge Billions in Stock Giveaways
· Confirmed
In Short: Tech giants Elon Musk and Anthropic have pledged billions in stock giveaways to address public concerns over AI safety and job displacement.
Anthropic, preparing for a massive public benefit IPO, committed 5% of its shares to a new Public Benefit Fund, potentially worth $75 billion to $100 billion.
Musk, in response, announced plans to give one SpaceX share to every child in the United States, a giveaway potentially worth $10.5 billion.
Musk’s announcement came on social media, where he argued that tech companies should distribute shares directly to the public rather than locking them up in internal funds.
Anthropic’s new fund will not finance donations or lobbying, and when combined with existing commitments from founders and employees, roughly 20% of the company’s shares will be dedicated to public-benefit purposes.
Musk’s plan, however, has not yet explained how the distribution would work or confirmed which children would qualify.
Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, had previously called for AI development to slow down, though some have questioned his motivations.
The announcements come as Silicon Valley faces mounting scrutiny over AI’s impact on jobs and safety.
Both companies are positioning themselves to rebuild public trust during a period of rapid industry expansion.
Musk’s SpaceX COO and President, Gwynne Shotwell, has already pledged a personal donation of $320 million in SpaceX stock for more than 2 million children.
The announcements have garnered significant attention, with Musk’s post viewed millions of times within hours.
Musk’s post stated, “This will be the first of many,” indicating a long-term commitment to such initiatives.
While the exact mechanisms and timelines for these distributions remain unclear, the pledges signal a significant shift in how tech companies engage with the public.
What's confirmed
- Musk said on Monday that he would give one of his shares at his rocket company, which owns xAI, to every child in America next year.
- Anthropic’s announcement comes as the Claude developer prepares for a potential stock market listing that could value it at more than $1 trillion.
What's still developing
- Get the latest Android News in your inbox every day arrow_right Sign up to receive the latest Android News every weekday: Android Headlines / Tech News / Artificial Intelligence News / Anthropic and Elon Musk Try Giving Away Billions in Stock to Calm AI Safety Fears Anthropic and Elon Musk have announced multi-billion-dollar equity giveaway pledges aimed at addressing public fears over AI safety and job displacement.
- Anthropic prepares for a blockbuster stock market listing that could value the firm between $1.5 trillion and $2 trillion.
- So, that 5% pledge represents a staggering $75 billion to $100 billion.
- Last week, Anthropic told prospective investors that its revenue surged by 45% to $16.8bn (£12.6bn) in the three months to the end of September.
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- At that price, distributing one share to every person under 18 in the country would put the potential value of Musk’s proposed giveaway at around $10.7 billion.
- “This will be the first of many.” The proposal would give roughly 73 million Americans under the age of 18 a direct stake in the aerospace and artificial intelligence company, according to U.S.
- Musk’s announcement comes in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump ’s administration’s “Trump Accounts” initiative, which essentially provides eligible children with investment accounts and a federal speed deposit up to $1,000 for those born between 2025 and 2028.
- SpaceX, which is an American aerospace manufacturer and provider of space transportation, was founded by Musk in 2002 and operates Starlink satellite internet service and other space programmes.
- Subject to stockholder approval, Anthropic plans to initially commit 5% of its shares to its new fund, with the possibility of contributing another 2% for every 50% increase in the company’s value above a predetermined baseline.
- The pledge, made on X on Monday, October 19, 2026, comes just hours after AI rival Anthropic revealed its own plan to set aside 5% of its equity for a public benefit fund, positioning the two tech titans in an escalating contest over how to distribute the spoils of the AI and space booms.
- Musk’s post said the gifts would begin “next year,” implying a 2027 timeline.