DOMINANT ANGLE
Islamabad estimates Musk's pledge: at around $146 per share, the donation would exceed $10.5 billion, and the Pakistani press is particularly noting what the billionaire has not explained.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Musk promised on Monday on X to give "one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America" in 2027, "the first of many", without detailing the plan.
- 02
At $146.03 per share at the close of Friday, October 16, for more than 72 million children, the cost would exceed $10.5 billion (Geo News).
- 03
Anthropic announced on Sunday that it wants to commit 5% of its shares to a public interest fund; Musk recommended giving the shares "directly to the public".
ANALYSIS
Islamabad, October 20, 2026. Pakistani media is addressing Elon Musk's announcement with numbers. Geo News recalls that the SpaceX boss wrote on Monday, October 19, on X: "Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America", adding that it would be "the first of many", without saying what the others would be.
The calculation occupies the bulk of the coverage. According to Geo, the SpaceX share closed at $146.03 on Friday, October 16; each child would therefore receive securities worth around $146, a value that may vary before distribution. With over 72 million minors recorded by the US Census Bureau, the bill would exceed $10.5 billion. Business Recorder instead retains 73 million children and specifies, according to Forbes, that Musk owns 38% of SpaceX.
Geo emphasizes the gray areas: Musk did not say if all minors under 18 would be concerned, how parents would claim the securities, or if the beneficiaries could sell them immediately. The site mentions the hypothesis of state-backed investment accounts for children, not confirmed by the interested party. It concludes that the question, for American families, is whether a promise made on a social network will become a real program.
Business Recorder puts the announcement into two contexts. The first is that of Anthropic, which indicated on Sunday, October 18, that it wants to devote 5% of its shares to a public interest fund, which can finance donations, direct distributions to certain populations, and actions on the impact of AI on employment; Musk said he recommends giving the shares "directly to the public". The second is political: the daily recalls that Donald Trump promised last month $5,000 to each American adult if the Republicans retain Congress in the November midterm elections.
The daily also notes the financial weight of SpaceX, whose June IPO raised $85.7 billion, a record, and whose Starship rocket reached orbit for the first time in September. The coverage remains descriptive: it does not comment on Musk's motivations or the credibility of his past promises.
