President Donald Trump said Thursday that he expects Elon Musk to donate shares of SpaceX to a new government-backed savings program for American children known as Trump Accounts, a move that could become one of the program’s highest-profile corporate contributions.
Speaking during an interview with CNBC in the Oval Office, Trump said he believes Musk will join other business leaders who have already pledged support for the initiative.
Asked whether Musk would participate, Trump replied that he thinks he will, pointing to recent commitments from Micron Technology and Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell as examples of corporate backing for the program.
Trump Accounts are a new type of tax-advantaged investment account for Americans under the age of 18. Congress created the program last summer as part of a Republican spending package, and the U.S. Treasury Department is preparing to launch it in the coming days in partnership with Bank of New York Mellon and Robinhood.
The goal is to help children begin building long-term savings, with funding coming from the federal government and, in some cases, voluntary contributions from private companies.
A contribution from SpaceX would immediately become one of the program’s most closely watched investments because the aerospace company is among the world’s most valuable businesses and only recently began trading publicly under the ticker SPCX.
Nothing has been finalized.
According to Semafor, which first reported the discussions, the Trump administration has talked with SpaceX about making a contribution, but it remains unclear whether Musk has agreed or what form any donation would ultimately take. SpaceX shares slipped about 0.3% in overnight trading following that report.
The potential donation also reflects the improving relationship between Trump and Musk.
Musk spent roughly $300 million supporting Trump’s successful 2024 presidential campaign before serving as head of the administration’s cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as a temporary government employee.
The relationship later deteriorated after Musk publicly criticized a Trump-backed spending bill, prompting an equally public response from the president.
Since then, however, tensions have eased.
The two were seen together at a memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk last fall, and Musk later accompanied Trump’s delegation during a trip to China in May. A SpaceX stock donation would represent another public sign that the two have rebuilt their political and professional relationship.
The story also carries significant business implications.
SpaceX holds billions of dollars in federal defense and space contracts, while the administration has recently defended Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, in ongoing litigation. That overlap between government policy and Musk’s business interests has fueled renewed scrutiny from both supporters and critics.
For American families, the practical question is what assets Trump Accounts will eventually hold.
If major corporations such as SpaceX, Micron, and others contribute shares, millions of children could begin investing at a young age through ownership in some of the country’s fastest-growing companies. Supporters argue that could encourage long-term wealth creation, while critics contend it blurs the line between public policy and private corporate influence.
For SpaceX, the donation could also make business sense.
Placing shares into millions of long-term investment accounts would broaden ownership while reducing the number of shares actively traded in the market. Some retail investors have already noted that SPCX has experienced notable volatility since its public debut as investors continue debating the company’s valuation.
Musk has consistently rejected claims that government assistance built his businesses.
He recently argued that federal incentives received by SpaceX and Tesla represented less than 2% of the companies’ total value, disputing criticism that government support played a central role in their success.
For now, the proposed donation remains Trump’s expectation rather than a finalized agreement. As the Trump Accounts program launches in the coming days, investors, families, and Washington policymakers will be watching closely to see whether that expectation ultimately becomes a formal transfer of SpaceX shares.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
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