Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

A SpaceX facility in Hawthorne, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images SpaceX's second-ever earnings report revealed it's spending more than ever on AI.

SpaceX reported spending $16.4 billion on AI-related capex in the third quarter, continuing the acceleration of AI spending seen in recent quarters.

SpaceX spent roughly $19.6 million on overall capital expenditures in the third quarter as Grok maker continues its AI buildout. That was squarely in line with what Wall Street analysts were expecting.

Of that $19.6 billion, SpaceX reported spending $16.4 billion on AI-related capex. Analysts were expecting $16.9 billion.

During the earnings call, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said that chips are no longer the biggest constraint to AI buildout.

What are the real-life consequences of AI?

"So talking about SpaceX superintelligence, SpaceXSI — "sexy," whatever — so as I think people are starting to realize the constraints on deployment of superintelligence is more in power and cooling and infrastructure than it is in chips," he said.

SpaceX's AI revenue grew significantly quarter-over-quarter to $7.6 billion — ahead of analysts' estimates of $6.3 billion. This report also marks the first quarter since SpaceX purchased Cursor.

That revenue means that SpaceX's AI segment officially brought in more revenue than its Starlink business. Starlink brought in $5.2 billion for the quarter.

In August, SpaceX's first-ever earnings report appeared to unnerve investors when the Elon Musk-led company disclosed that it had spent $18.4 billion in total capex, with 80% of that going toward AI. That capex spending was more than double SpaceX's revenues for the quarter.

Musk has been upfront that SpaceX, which acquired xAI in February, is lagging behind frontier companies like Anthropic and OpenAI. Last month, Musk quote-tweeted a user who put Anthropic's Opus 5.5 and OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra ahead of SpaceXAI's frontier model.

"Accurate (for now)," he wrote.

SpaceXAI has since rebranded as SpaceXSI, following Musk's alignment with President Donald Trump's preferred rebranding of "artificial intelligence" to "super intelligence."

One area where SpaceXSI has found some success is leasing its compute to Anthropic, Google, and Reflection AI. During the company's last earnings call, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen said the leasing arrangements had generated $1.6 billion in additional revenue.

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SpaceX Elon Musk

SpaceX Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX) reported third-quarter revenue of $14.58 billion on Tuesday, up 161% from a year earlier and ahead of analyst estimates of $12.87 billion, as its Super Intelligence business and Starlink connectivity unit drove growth. 

The company posted earnings per share of $0.35, compared with a loss of $0.36 a year earlier. Net income was $4.4 billion, versus a loss of $1.05 billion in the same period last year. 

Operating income came in at $2.79 billion, above the $2.24 billion analysts expected. Adjusted EBITDA rose 306% to $8.81 billion, beating estimates of $6.59 billion. 

CFO Bret Johnsen attributed the revenue growth to momentum in Connectivity and a “clear inflection” in its Super Intelligence business. 

Super Intelligence revenue reached $7.56 billion, up 830% from a year earlier, with operating income of $431 million compared with a loss of $1.72 billion. SpaceX said it added $6.7 billion in incremental revenue from the segment, driven by cloud services agreements, the acquisition of Cursor, and its models and software applications. 

Connectivity revenue climbed 69% to $5.25 billion, topping estimates of $4.86 billion, with operating income of $2.37 billion. Starlink subscribers rose 89% to 13.6 million, while average revenue per user fell to $69 a month from $83. 

Space segment revenue grew 6% to $1.77 billion, ahead of the $1.43 billion estimate, though the unit posted an operating loss of $7 million. 

Total capital expenditure was $19.59 billion, in line with estimates. The company ended the quarter with $51.29 billion in cash and equivalents and $38.56 billion in marketable securities. 

SpaceX completed 35 launches in the quarter, short of the 41 analysts expected and down from 44 a year earlier. Mass to orbit totaled 476 metric tons, below the 559 metric tons forecast. 

The company’s first revenue-generating Starship mission delivered 26 Starlink V3 satellites, roughly 10 times the downlink capacity added by a Falcon 9 Starlink launch.  

SpaceX also outlined plans for a Starbase, Louisiana spaceport designed to support thousands of Starship flights a year, with the first launch targeted for 2029, and introduced Grok Bot, an always-on agentic Super Intelligence system. 

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SpaceX, the rocket and satellite-network operator SPCX , rose 2.69% to $149.97 at 12 p.m. ET on October 19 as investors weighed Elon Musk's pledge to give American children one of his shares each next year. According to the Associated Press, Musk announced the plan Monday without explaining how the distribution would work. That leaves a big promise with some basic questions unanswered: who qualifies, how children receive the shares and when ownership actually transfers.

The scale is enormous. AP reported that approximately 73 million Americans are under 18, implying roughly 73 million shares if every child receives one. A gift drawn entirely from Musk's existing holdings would change who owns those shares without itself raising cash for SpaceX or increasing its share count. Investors have a more immediate financial checkpoint: the company has scheduled third-quarter results for after the October 20 market close, followed by a webcast at 4:30 p.m. ET.

The GF Score of just 15 out of 100 adds a cautionary signal, with financial strength standing above the other plotted factors but still well below the chart's outer range. That weak overall reading deserves attention alongside the giveaway headlines. The proposed transfer supplies no fresh evidence of stronger revenue, margins or cash generation. Tuesday's results will give investors something more concrete to assess than the size of Musk's pledge.

Musk thinks SpaceX will achieve $3.5 trillion in annual revenue sometime around 2033. The CEO is an impressive innovator, but he has a history of making bold projections that prove inaccurate.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SPCX +0.04%) is set to report its third-quarter earnings after the market closes on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, giving investors another important look under the hood.

SpaceX's ambitions are large, to say the least, and while those ambitions are exciting, making them a reality -- one that actually returns money to shareholders -- is another matter entirely.

With that in mind, here are the key numbers I'll be watching when the results arrive.

SPCX Space Exploration Technologies$148.02+$0.06 (+0.04%)

NASDAQ · As of 2:05 PM ET 10/20/26

SpaceX earnings: Revenue and profitability expectationsWhile I am more interested in what's happening within each segment, the headline numbers matter too. Let's start there. Wall Street expects SpaceX to report:

Sales: $12.72 billionEarnings: $0.13 per shareI don't expect any major surprises here. Still, I'll be watching whether stronger sales are translating into better profitability, and what management expects for the rest of the year.

The segment numbers will tell us more.

Connectivity: Watch Starlink's average revenue per userFor Starlink, subscriber count matters a lot, so do revenue and operating profit, but I'm especially interested in how much each customer is paying.

Average revenue per user, or ARPU, came in at $66 a month in the second quarter, unchanged from the first quarter but down substantially from $85 a year earlier. Now, that doesn't automatically signal a problem. Lowering prices to attract new users is a common tactic. But there is a limit.

Starlink is critical to the overall growth story of SpaceX. If the company is relying too much on lowering prices (and therefore ARPU) at this point in the game, it could spell trouble in the future and would, to me, indicate there is more of a natural ceiling for Starlink than bulls are counting on.

I don't expect anything dramatic this quarter, but I'll be watching the trend.

Space: Progress toward reliable, reusable launches for StarshipFor the space business, I'm most interested in what the company's leadership has to say about Starship.

The next-generation rocket, designed to be reusable and carry much larger payloads into orbit, is central to the company's long-term prospects. Starship has the potential to reshape the economics of the space industry as well as SpaceX internally.

The problem is that its development has been beset with issues. It's certainly come a long way, but there is still a long way to go before the rocket is a reliable, reusable part of its business.

I'll be looking for any updates on the company's timeline and whether leadership appears to be hedging at all or fully confident the program is progressing as expected.

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Revenue growth versus capital spendingThe AI business is where I'll be paying the most attention to the relationship between growth and spending.

Thanks to a string of major compute contracts with Anthropic, Alphabet, and others, the segment's revenue began taking off last quarter. I expect this to continue.

Image source: Getty Images.

The question is how much SpaceX is paying to deliver the compute and how much more it expects to spend to service all of the contracts.

Last quarter, SpaceX spent a whopping $15.8 billion in AI capital expenditures (capex) and booked $2.6 billion in segment revenue. How these numbers move in relation to each other is critical.

The strong growth in investing in technology infrastructure to support AI has been a focus the past year and is projected to expand this year and next. For 2026, consensus year-over-year capex is expected to almost double from $404 billion to $790 billion. SpaceX stock has declined 7.7% since the June IPO, underperforming the S&P 500.

SpaceX (SPCX -1.18%) has gone on a wild ride since its IPO on June 12. The aerospace and AI company went public at $135 per share, closed at a record high of $211.39 on June 16, but now trades at $145. Let's see why it fizzled out -- and if it's worth buying below its IPO price.

Why did SpaceX's stock initially soar?
SpaceX initially attracted a lot of attention because Elon Musk founded it, it was growing rapidly, and it had an early mover advantage in the space logistics, satellite, and AI markets. It capitalized on that hype by offering less than 5% of its shares in its IPO. It allocated about a fifth of those shares to retail investors rather than institutional investors.

Image source: Getty Images.

SpaceX's revenue rose 33% to $18.67 billion in 2025, but Musk declared it could generate $1 trillion in revenue by 2030. That optimistic outlook -- which would require SpaceX to grow its top line at an unprecedented 121.7% CAGR from 2025 to 2030 -- attracted a stampede of bulls.

Why did SpaceX's stock give up most of those gains?
At its peak, SpaceX's market cap reached $2.64 trillion, or 58 times the $45.3 billion in revenue analysts expected it to generate in 2026. Some bulls might argue that its breakneck growth rates justify that premium valuation. Still, rising interest rates and Treasury yields drove investors toward more conservative investments over the following four months.

SPCX Space Exploration Technologies$146.22-$1.74 (-1.18%)

NASDAQ · As of 11:34 AM ET 10/20/26

The tougher macro headwinds also made it tough to overlook SpaceX's massive losses. SpaceX's only profitable business division is Starlink, but the losses at its space and AI businesses are wiping out those profits.

In the first half of 2026, Starlink generated an operating profit of $2.84 billion, which was erased by the space segment's operating loss of $1.20 billion and the AI segment's operating loss of $3.73 billion. Those losses will widen as SpaceX ramps up production of Starship, the largest rocket ever built, and expands its AI business (which includes X, Grok, and Cursor).

Many investors also fretted over SpaceX's lockup expirations, which started in early August and will continue through the end of the year. With so much of its future growth already priced into its stock, it would be tempting for SpaceX's early investors and insiders to take some profits.

What would I do if SpaceX's shares drop below $135?
SpaceX will post its third-quarter earnings after the market closes on Oct. 20. Analysts expect its revenue to rise 65% sequentially -- with its AI revenue climbing 153%, Starlink revenue growing 15%, and its space revenue increasing 52%.

That quarter-over-quarter growth should be driven by the expansion of its AI infrastructure (which secured major contracts with Anthropic and other AI companies), the expansion of Starlink's satellite constellation and subscriber base, and its ongoing rocket launches.

Even if SpaceX matches or beats those estimates, it must grow its backlog -- which reached $47.5 billion at the end of June -- to impress the bulls. It should also lay out clearer plans for monetizing its AI business and kick-starting Starlink's direct-to-cell evolution (which was accelerated by its recent acquisition of 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management).

At $145, SpaceX still has a market cap of $2.0 trillion, or 45 times this year's sales. If it were to revisit its IPO price, it would be worth about $1.8 trillion, or 40 times this year's sales. The bulls will claim that's a reasonable price for a company that could potentially generate $1 trillion in revenue by 2030, but the bears will argue that it will struggle to reach that ambitious goal.

I personally wouldn't touch SpaceX if it dips slightly below its IPO price, because it could trigger panic selling rather than contrarian buying in this volatile market. But if it sinks much lower, I'd consider nibbling on it as a long-term, speculative play in the space, satellite, and AI markets.

Cordatus Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 14,513 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,189,000. Other institutional investors

Elon Musk pledged a SpaceX share to every child in America, but the announcement came with no filing, no eligibility rules, and no delivery plan, leaving billions of dollars in stock promises riding entirely on one man's word.

Elon Musk put a number on founder generosity in a post on X on October 19, 2026, when he wrote: “Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America”, adding “This will be the first of many.”

About 72 million Americans are under 18. Yahoo Finance valued the pledge at $10.5 billion using the Friday, October 16 close of $146.03. At Monday’s close of $147.96, the value was about $10.65 billion. Musk committed to a share count, so the dollar value is only an estimate and will rise or fall with the stock.

SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX | SPCX Price Prediction) gained 1.32% on Monday, ending the day with a $2.01 trillion market value. That gain followed a tough stretch. The stock is down 9.46% over one week and 8.07% from its earliest available close of $160.95 on June 12.

The pledge came with no filing, no eligibility rules, no delivery mechanism, and no company statement. SpaceX is expected to report third-quarter results after the close on October 20, and that report will likely matter more to the stock than the pledge will.

Two Founders Offer Different Ways to Give Away Stock
Hours before Musk’s post, Anthropic said it would put a portion of its shares into a new public benefit fund after its IPO. The fund would make large donations to traditional nonprofits or distribute money directly to specific groups.

Musk said that he recommended giving shares directly to the public and wrote: “This is what I will be doing.” Under Anthropic’s model, an institution decides where the stock goes. Under Musk’s, a share would land in millions of homes, which also works as marketing for the SpaceX brand.

Delivery Questions Musk Has Not Answered
Musk has not said who counts as a “kid,” who would hold the shares on a minor’s behalf, how a single share would be delivered, how the gift would be taxed, or what “next year” means for timing. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reporters have raised Treasury’s Trump Accounts as one possible path, though Musk has not confirmed it. Treasury began creating accounts for eligible children around October 1, 2026. These accounts can receive qualified stock contributions and the $1,000 pilot payment, and the rules require a Treasury acceptance agreement that names the donor.

What Millions of New Holders Would Change
The shares would come out of Musk’s existing stake, leaving the share count unchanged and other holders undiluted. An August 2026 SEC filing showed Musk holding 4.8 billion shares. Counting unvested awards and options, he has 6.4 billion.

Depending on which count you use, the gift equals about 1.5% or 1.1% of his holdings, which leaves his control effectively unchanged. The larger effect could be on the shareholder base, because tens of millions of very small holders could change retail trading patterns and how many votes get cast at shareholder meetings.

Second-quarter revenue was $7.814 billion, beating the $6.819 billion consensus. Even so, EPS came in at -$0.09 and net income was -$541 million. Capital spending hit $18.369 billion for the quarter.

Starlink doubled its subscriber count to 12.0 million. Revenue per user, however, dropped from $85 to $66.

What Could Change the Outlook for SPCX Stock
The gift costs the company nothing and adds no cash flow, while the business still loses money, spends heavily on AI, and makes less per Starlink customer.

The risks also lean toward the downside. Musk may not follow through on the pledge, regulators may raise questions, and much depends on one person.

The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSEARCA:SPY) offers a different risk profile because it spreads that key-person risk across hundreds of companies. That broad exposure matches the rules for Trump Account investments, which must track a broad index of equities in primarily U.S. companies.

This view would change if the third-quarter report shows positive EPS and steady revenue per Starlink user. A Treasury acceptance agreement naming Musk as a donor would be the first sign that the pledge is turning into actual shares.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) by 10,143.9% in the undefined quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 231,820 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 229,557 shares during

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk

Bloomberg/Getty Images

The SpaceX business helping to fund Elon Musk's biggest bets is taking a swing of its own just in time for earnings.

The SpaceX business helping to fund Elon Musk's biggest bets is taking a swing of its own just in time for earnings.

SpaceX reports earnings after the bell today, and Musk's goal of turning Starlink into a major mobile carrier is expected to be a focus.

Taking on Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile is a huge endeavor. And it requires significant investment from a company that already has a long list of expensive bets.

As a bit of a refresher, SpaceX is made up of three key parts: connectivity (Starlink), space (reusable rockets like Starship), and AI (Grok, X, and data centers). Among the three, connectivity is the only one generating an operating profit.

That makes it incredibly valuable not only as a stand-alone business but as a way to offset the expensive investments made by SpaceX's space and AI segments.

Turning Starlink into a mobile carrier complicates that arrangement. To offer service in more densely populated areas, SpaceX will need to launch more satellites into space and establish a ground footprint.

How much SpaceX plans to set aside for that buildout and the impact it'll have on the bottom line are key questions analysts will have.

Musk is no stranger to talking a big game. He recently said SpaceX could one day be worth more than Earth's economy.

He's backed it up by accomplishing things others thought were impossible, like self-landing rockets. Just don't expect him to hit his self-imposed deadlines. (Case in point: Tesla Roadster, which has faced numerous delays and is now targeting production in 2028.)

There's less at stake when you're starting from scratch. But with Starlink, it's also about Musk avoiding turning his cash cow into another capital drain.

According to another Musk proclamation, a lot of us will have a vested interest in SpaceX's success.

Early Monday morning, Musk said he'll give one of his SpaceX shares to every kid in America next year.

"This will be the first of many," he added.

Details on how that would work weren't clear, but many people immediately thought of the recently launched Trump Accounts.

President Donald Trump predicted Musk would donate SpaceX stock to the accounts. And SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell already said she'd gift a share of her company stock to Trump Accounts.

If that's how the shares are distributed, it's an example of the complexities the Trump Accounts can pose for some parents. Certain jobs, like those in financial services, have restrictions around the types of investments you can hold due to compliance reasons.

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SpaceX

Elon Musk

Elon Musk urged the artificial intelligence company to give shares to the public, then pledged to give SpaceX stock to every American child.

Space Exploration Technologies (SPCX +1.32%) became the largest IPO on record in June. The stock has been highly volatile since, reaching highs of about $225.64 and lows of $104.83. How will the stock perform through the end of the year? That's hard to say. But one particular upcoming catalyst might drag down the share price. Here's what investors need to know.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The largest single-event stock lockup expiry to dateFirst, a little bit of background. When companies first go public, there are legal restrictions on when insiders can sell their shares. The period before that is called the lockup period. Many corporations first entering public equity markets opt for a set period -- often 180 days -- after which most or all company insiders are free to sell their shares.

SpaceX chose a staggered lockup schedule, meaning various blocks of shares would become eligible for sale over a little more than a year from the IPO date. Lockup expiry dates can present challenges to newly public companies. If insiders sell the corporation's shares in large quantities as soon as they are legally permitted, it could put downward pressure on the stock. SpaceX has faced this challenge on six occasions already. Here's how it has fared so far.

Expiry Date Number of New Shares Available Stock ReactionAug. 6912 millionRose 6% Aug. 20319 millionFell 4%Sept. 9319 millionFell 3.9%Sept. 1059 millionRose 0.4%Sept. 24328 millionFell 0.2%Oct. 9328 millionRose 1%Overall, SpaceX has performed fairly well through its various lockup expiry dates so far. The stock has climbed about 27% since Aug. 6. However, the company is racing toward its largest single-event stock lockup expiry date yet.

Two full trading days after the company reports its third-quarter earnings (SpaceX’s third-quarter update is scheduled for Oct. 20), 1.3 billion new shares will become eligible for sale (328 million new shares will also unlock on Oct. 24).

SPCX Space Exploration Technologies$147.96+$1.93 (+1.32%)

NASDAQ · As of 4:00 PM ET 10/19/26

What should investors do?Will SpaceX stock decline significantly once these new shares become available? It's hard to say. On the one hand, it is the single biggest such event in terms of the number of new shares eligible for sale. But relative to the number of shares already on the market, that's a different story.

On Oct. 6, the number of SpaceX shares eligible for sale more than doubled. It won't increase by that much after the third-quarter update. Whether or not SpaceX stock performs well over the next few weeks will also depend heavily on the company's third-quarter results. SpaceX's revenue grew at a good clip in the second quarter, and its net loss decreased significantly.

The market will be expecting that momentum to continue, and there is a chance that particularly strong results could overshadow the massive lockup expiry event. With that said, should long-term investors purchase SpaceX's shares at current levels? Note that the company's stock price has declined slightly from its $150 opening price, despite strong second-quarter results and meaningful progress on its all-important next-gen rocket, Starship, which recently flew into orbit for the first time in another successful flight test.

SpaceX has also signed additional artificial intelligence compute deals and taken steps that bring it closer to significantly expanding its connectivity business and challenging major mobile carriers, although it still has plenty of work to do on that front.

Why, then, hasn't the stock performed well since its IPO? Probably partly because of valuation concerns. At 200x forward earnings, the market is pricing in significant success from some of SpaceX's ambitions, and the company needs to exceed expectations to hope to sustain above-average returns, with little room for error. That's why I'd stay away from the space company right now.

Plus, Saudi Arabia postpones flagship investor conference and U.S. steelmaker projects record profits

Elon Musk says he will gift a share of SpaceX to each American child, in a post on X, the social media platform he owns. The move comes just hours after artificial intelligence competitor Anthropic PBC said it would set aside a portion of its shares for the public benefit.

SpaceX is set to report earnings tomorrow for the second time since going public back in June, with traders anticipating a big move in the stock.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SPCX) shares are trading higher on Monday. Elon Musk said he plans on giving some of his shares to every American child next year.

SpaceX stock has dropped recently, erasing some of the gains made earlier this month when it jumped to $176.55. It dropped to a low of $146, its lowest level since September 15 this year.

Forbes Media Chairman and editor-in-chief Steve Forbes discusses Elon Musk's SpaceX stock giveaway, the looming $2 trillion federal deficit and the economic stakes ahead of the midterms. #foxbusiness #varney 00:00 — Elon Musk announces SpaceX stock giveaway for American kids 01:53 — Steve Forbes: Stock ownership can “save free markets and capitalism” 02:30 — Forbes calls Musk's plan a new form of philanthropy 03:10 — Can Washington rein in the $2 trillion federal deficit?

What does it mean for every kid in America to own a piece of SpaceX? Elon Musk put that question on the table on Monday, October 19, 2026.

For the week ending Tuesday, Oct. 13, shares of SpaceX (SPCX) slumped nearly 9%. Part of the drag on the stock was reaction to the company’s telecom ambitions.

SpaceX’s Starlink is a major provider of satellite internet services, with clear telecom inroads. The stock is classified, by some index providers, as a communication services name. All of that is to say SpaceX has viable telecom ambitions. But the stock’s recent slump may be a sign investors are misunderstanding what Elon Musk has in store.

Those misinterpretations could create opportunity with the stock, and, for aggressive short-term traders, the Direxion Daily SpaceX Bull 2X ETF (LOFF). The fund attempts to deliver 200% of the daily returns of SpaceX shares.

Clearing the Air
Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft believes it’s important to note SpaceX is unlikely to be eyeing a traditional cellular network that would ultimately compete with the likes of AT&T and Verizon.

“Space X is pushing ahead with its hybrid small-cell and satellite architecture, and the purchase of 800 MHz spectrum from Grain Management is part of that effort as it will provide spectrum for small cells in some areas and additional high-quality spectrum for satellite deployment in others,” wrote the analyst in a recent note. “We don’t think SpaceX is contemplating a traditional cellular buildout (utilizing macro sites or traditional small cells) at this stage and thus, we believe the sell-off in the stocks of the Big 3 MNOs on Friday was excessive and misguided.”

“MNO” refers to mobile network operator. with the “Big 3” being AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. It’s a competitive, capital-intensive, and slow-growth business. That indicates SpaceX investors and prospective LOFF traders could benefit if the company stays out of that arena.

Longer-Ranging Effort?
Kraft points out that SpaceX is more likely to pursue the mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) pathway. That’s likely to be a longer-ranging effort. But if executed properly, it could be a spark for the stock, and on occasion, the leveraged LOFF.

“We also view the company’s current spectrum position as inadequate for a macro cell buildout at scale, although more spectrum will be available at auction in 2027 (C-band) and probably in 2028,” added Kraft. “An MVNO, if attainable, remains the more likely long-term path for carrying traffic that Starlink cannot economically or reliably carry over its own terrestrial and satellite assets. We expect SpaceX to continue using its network progress and spectrum position to try to build negotiating leverage with incumbent mobile operators.”

For more news, information, and strategy, visit the Leveraged & Inverse Content Hub.

Elon Musk has pledged to give one share in SpaceX Corp (NASDAQ:SPCX), the spaceflight company he leads, to every child in the United States next year.

Musk announced the plan on Monday in a post on X, writing that the giveaway would be “the first of many."

The proposal could reach around 72 million children and be worth approximately $10.5 billion, based on SpaceX’s closing share price of $146.03 on Friday.

Musk did not provide details on how the shares would be distributed, when the transfers would take place or how eligibility would be determined.

According to a report by Yahoo Finance, the pledge would extend the distribution of SpaceX shares beyond an earlier initiative involving Gwynne Shotwell, the company’s president, who committed more than $320 million in shares to benefit over 2 million children.

That earlier initiative was linked to Trump Accounts, a US government programme designed to help eligible children build long-term savings through investment accounts.

Musk’s announcement came as the technology sector faced renewed scrutiny over how wealthy founders distribute their fortunes and use corporate equity for philAnthropic purposes, Reuters reported.

Artificial intelligence company Anthropic (Unlisted (US):ANTHRO) announced on Sunday that it would allocate 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund intended to support initiatives serving the public good.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Musk has favoured direct transfers to individuals over arrangements that channel company shares into philAnthropic funds, making his proposed distribution a different approach to corporate giving.

The financial value of the proposed gift could change before distribution because SpaceX shares may rise or fall in price, while the eventual cost would depend on the number of eligible recipients.

The proposal remains short on practical details, leaving questions about the transfer process, the accounts that would hold the shares and the rights available to child recipients.

The world's richest person made the announcement following similar pledges by Anthropic and other high-profile tech names.

The world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk, promised to make what could easily turn into his largest SpaceX (NASDAQ: SPCX) stock donation to date in a Monday, October 19 post on his social media platform X.

Indeed, the famous businessman declared that he would give one of his SPCX shares to every ‘kid’ in America. 

Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America.

This will be the first of many.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 19, 2026 Considering there are more than 70 million people under the age of 18 in the U.S. – UNICEF data shows there were 74.1 million in 2023 – and that SPCX stock closed at $146.03 on Friday, October 16, the total value of the donation stands at approximately $10.8 billion, assuming no price changes.

Simultaneously, the actual amount could prove much larger. Assuming the giveaway will begin only after Musk’s lockup period ends – June 13, 2027 – and assuming that SpaceX shares will approach the average Wall Street price target for the next 12 months – $217 – the actual amount could stand as high as $16 billion.

Additionally, should the Street high forecast of $800, originally assigned in early July, prove more accurate, the total could be $59 billion. Should Morningstar’s fair value assessment – published in early June 2026 and estimated at $70 – prove true, the number could drop to $5.1 billion.

SpaceX stock price chart. Source: Google Here’s how much Musk plans to give to kids of America relative to his wealth Notably, Elon Musk owns, at press time on October 19, 4.8 billion SpaceX shares and, as CNBC calculated in its Monday report, if the unvested awards and stock options are included, the total rises to 6.4 billion.

Even if the lower number is taken into account, the world’s first trillion has pledged roughly 1.54% of his SPCX stake. The $10.8 billion to be distributed likewise represents 1.19% of Musk’s $908 billion net worth, as retrieved by Finbold from Forbes on October 19.

For comparison, Fidelity estimated in late 2025 that the average net worth of households between 55 and 64 – Elon Musk is 55 – in the U.S. stands at $1.57 million. Should such a household make an equal donation, the total amount would stand at $18,663: $0.00025 per child.

Furthermore, if the median of $364,500 is taken into account instead – arguably the more relevant number since it considers those right in the middle rather than being skewed by the extremes – the total falls to $4,333, and the per-kid drops to $0.000059.

Is every kid in America going to have $7,700 in 10 years from SPCX stock alone? Lastly, while the $146.03 individual donation – or $217 if the Wall Street average price target is used – might appear almost trivially low, Elon Musk’s own projections hint that he intends his plan to turn into a respectable starting ‘nest egg’ for young Americans.

Specifically, the world’s first short-term trillionaire opined last week that, unless a new world war begins in the meantime, he estimates that SpaceX’s market capitalization would reach $100 trillion at the low end within the decade.

Unless there is a major world war, SpaceX probably gets to >$100T in <10 years

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 15, 2026 Considering that the firm’s valuation stood at $1.9 trillion at the Friday close, reaching Musk’s target would involve a 5,163% rally over the next 10 years and SPCX stock hitting $7,685.

Featured image via Shutterstock

Elon Musk has announced that he will give one of his SpaceX shares to every child in America next year, in a move he says will be the “first of many.“