Musk and Anthropic announce public share giveaways
By Peter Hoskins and Michael Race, Business reporters – Reuters (Image source)
Published 19 October 2026
Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX and artificial‑intelligence firm Anthropic have each pledged sizable share donations as pressure mounts on large technology firms over the possible effects of AI on society.
On Monday, Musk said he intends to give one of his SpaceX shares – the rocket maker that also owns the xAI venture – to every child in the United States next year. The claim followed Anthropic’s announcement that it will allocate 5 percent of its own shares to a fund dedicated to the “public good.”
Anthropic is preparing for a potential initial public offering that could value the company at more than $1 trillion (£750 billion). SpaceX, which set a record for the largest IPO in June by raising $85.7 billion, also stands to benefit from the publicity.
The promises arrive as the AI sector faces heightened scrutiny over safety, societal impact and job displacement. Details on how each American child will receive a SpaceX share have not been released. In a social‑media post, Musk wrote: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America. This will be the first of many.” He added after Anthropic’s pledge: “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public. This is what I will be doing.”
Anthropic clarified that none of the shares placed in its Public Benefit Fund will be used for lobbying or political contributions in the United States or abroad. The company’s Claude developer also said the board may add another 2 percent of the firm’s stock to the fund at its discretion.
In recent investor briefings, Anthropic reported a 45 percent jump in revenue, reaching $16.8 billion (£12.6 billion) for the three‑month period ending September. Like other AI enterprises, it aims to generate massive profits while spending billions on research, model development and the infrastructure needed to run its systems.
Globally, technology firms have cut thousands of jobs after adopting AI, pointing to efficiency gains. A 2024 International Monetary Fund study projected that nearly 40 percent of jobs worldwide could be affected by AI, with the figure climbing to as high as 60 percent in advanced economies.
In September, a former Anthropic researcher warned that staff were “genuinely frightened” by the rapid pace of AI progress and its potential consequences for humanity. He told the BBC, “I believe that if we don’t slow down at the current rate of progress, there is a strong chance that we could all die in the immediate future.” The researcher, Jacob Coxon, resigned after his warning went viral.
Anthropic’s chief, Dario Amodei, has previously called for a slowdown in AI development, a stance that some observers have questioned. Both Sam Altman of OpenAI and Musk have expressed support for Amodei’s call for industry‑wide deceleration, stronger regulation and independent oversight of AI model creation.
Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump and leaders of major AI companies signed a “morally binding” agreement committing them to ensure the safety of their technologies. Trump has repeatedly opposed legislative measures to control AI development despite ongoing debates about its risks. He has since appointed Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to head a new AI task force, which will coordinate government outreach to consumers, companies and religious organizations.