Elon Musk has pledged to give every child in America a share in SpaceX next year, following an announcement by artificial intelligence firm Anthropic that it will commit a portion of its equity to a new public benefit fund as companies face scrutiny over the societal impact of AI.
Anthropic Pledges Five Percent Stake to Public Benefit Fund Ahead of IPO
Anthropic announced plans to allocate five percent of its shares to a newly created Anthropic Public Benefit Fund, structuring the vehicle as a wholly owned limited liability company to preserve operational flexibility. The move arrives as the Claude developer prepares for a potential initial public offering, with some investors in recent discussions discussing a valuation of around $1.5 trillion, down from earlier expectations of $2 trillion.
I recommend giving the shares directly to the public
The company reported third-quarter revenue of $16.8 billion, marking a 45 percent increase from the previous quarter. Under the terms of the new fund, the initial five percent stake is only a starting point. For every 50 percent increase in the company’s valuation above a set baseline, the board holds the discretion to contribute up to an additional two percent in equity. Anthropic noted that this structure could eventually result in roughly 20 percent of its shares being dedicated to the public good when combined with earlier pledges.
Those prior commitments include co-founders pledging to donate 80 percent of their equity holdings, alongside an employee donation-matching program established when the company was founded in 2021. The newly established fund is strictly barred from using its equity for political contributions or lobbying.
Elon Musk Proposes Direct Public Distribution and Promises SpaceX Shares
The initiative drew swift reactions from technology executives and investors. Elon Musk took to social media to push back against the intermediary structure, arguing that equity should be routed directly to individuals rather than managed by a board.
Following that online exchange, Musk announced that he plans to distribute one of his SpaceX shares to every child in the United States next year. Musk did not provide operational details regarding how the proposed giveaway would be executed, though he indicated that the distribution would be the first of many.
Skepticism and Debate Over Corporate Philanthropy Models
Financial analysts and industry leaders expressed varied opinions on Anthropic’s fund structure. Brad Gerstner, CEO of Altimeter Capital, praised the move as an extraordinary gift while cautioning against foundation wealth concentration and expressing hope that a meaningful portion of AI wealth becomes a direct dividend. David Sacks also questioned the initiative on social media.
Former New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose estimated that if Anthropic and OpenAI both go public at a $1 trillion valuation, the combined pledges could amount to roughly $460 billion earmarked for philanthropic purposes.
The announcement also arrives amid heightened anxiety surrounding technological advancement. The International Monetary Fund published an evaluation in 2024 indicating that approximately 40 percent of jobs globally will be affected by artificial intelligence, with advanced economies seeing that figure climb as high as 60 percent. In September, a researcher who departed Anthropic stated that staff developing the technology felt genuinely frightened by the rapid pace of progress and its broader implications for humanity.
Amid these societal pressures, the president established a new artificial intelligence taskforce to coordinate government interactions with consumers, commercial entities, and religious organizations. The president named the director of national intelligence Jay Clayton to lead the initiative. Despite ongoing policy debates regarding regulatory oversight and potential risks, the federal government has not enacted specific laws to control the development of the technology.