Elon Musk announced plans to distribute one share of his aerospace company SpaceX to every child in the United States next year, a commitment valued at more than $10 billion based on current market prices. With approximately 73 million children under 18 in the country, the pledge marks a significant move by Musk to broaden public ownership of his company.

The announcement followed a similar move by artificial intelligence firm Anthropic, which revealed it will allocate 5% of its shares to a newly created Anthropic Public Benefit Fund. The fund is designed to enhance the company’s social impact by reinvesting the value of these shares over time. Musk responded to Anthropic’s Sunday disclosure via social media, suggesting that shares should be distributed directly to the public, remarking that his initiative to grant SpaceX shares "will be the first of many."

SpaceX shares, which closed at $146.03 on Friday ahead of the company’s scheduled quarterly earnings report, have declined 35.3% since their debut on the public market in June. SpaceX went public the same month Musk became the first individual to reach a trillion-dollar net worth. Despite the recent share price drop, Musk remains one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

Anthropic, co-founded by CEO Dario Amodei and five other executives, operates as a public benefit corporation—a type of for-profit company that balances financial performance with social goals. The company is preparing for an initial public offering as early as November, having confidentially filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year.

The pledges from Musk and Anthropic come amid growing public concern over the rapid development of artificial intelligence technology. A recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 64% of Americans believe AI is evolving too quickly, compared to 27% who think the pace is appropriate and 8% who feel it is too slow. Last month, AI industry leaders including Musk, Amodei, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman called for a slowdown in AI advancements, following the resignation of an Anthropic researcher who warned of the technology’s existential risks.

Despite these calls, efforts to moderate AI development face significant challenges, including competitive pressures both domestically and internationally, profit-driven incentives, and political resistance. Meanwhile, Musk has actively engaged in the U.S. political arena as a major donor in this year’s midterm elections, contributing over $276 million since July in support of maintaining Republican majorities in Congress.