Anthropic Allocates 5% Stake to Public Benefit Fund Amidst Rising AI Scrutiny; Musk Pledges SpaceX Shares

In response to increasing backlash surrounding artificial intelligence, Claude developer Anthropic has announced a significant commitment: 5% of its shares will be allocated to a dedicated “public benefit fund.” Concurrently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pledged to distribute shares of his company SpaceX to “every kid in America” next year.

Anthropic detailed in a blog post that this fund will operate as a wholly owned limited liability company. Furthermore, it will be eligible to receive an additional 2% of Anthropic shares at the board's discretion for every 50% increase in the company's valuation beyond a predetermined baseline. The establishment of this fund, pending shareholder approval, is intended to provide greater flexibility and capacity for donations to non-profit organizations or direct distributions to specific communities.

“Because of the way the fund is structured, the more Anthropic grows, the larger the share of the company that can be dedicated expressly to the public good,” the company stated on Sunday. Anthropic is reportedly planning one of the largest initial public offerings (IPOs) in history as a public benefit corporation, with a potential timeline as early as November. The company had previously submitted a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its proposed IPO in June. Notably, Abu Dhabi technology investment firm MGX participated in Anthropic's recent $65 billion funding round.

The fund's initial focus areas include the labor market, with a $200 million commitment dedicated to studying its impact. Research from the International Monetary Fund suggests that approximately 60% of jobs in advanced economies are susceptible to AI disruption. Similarly, research from Goldman Sachs indicates that recent data points to a potential for strong AI-driven displacement among entry-level workers in the U.S.

Responding to Anthropic's announcement on X, Elon Musk advised, “I recommend giving the shares directly to the public.” In a separate post on Monday, he reiterated his pledge to give one share of SpaceX to “every kid in America” next year, though further details were not provided. Musk added, “This will be the first of many.” Theoretically, the world's first trillionaire could utilize the recently established Trump Accounts program to facilitate these donations, as it allows for contributions without capital gains tax under certain conditions. The Treasury Department indicated in a September notice its intention to automatically enroll up to 60 million children in this program. Considering there are approximately 73 million individuals under 18 in the U.S., this pledge could be valued at around $10.7 billion, based on SpaceX's Friday closing price of $146.03 per share. SpaceX shares were trading 0.78% higher at $147.33 per share as of 2:30 p.m. ET (8 p.m. GST) on Monday.

These pledges from Anthropic and Musk arrive as public concern in the U.S. regarding AI continues to grow. A recent AP-Norc poll revealed that 64% of U.S. adults perceive AI technology as developing “too fast,” compared to 27% who believe it is progressing “about right” and 8% who feel it is moving “too slow.” The construction of large data centers required for AI technology is also contributing to increased energy costs. A recent Quinnipiac University poll found that approximately 73% of U.S. voters oppose the establishment of data centers in their communities.

AI executives and President Donald Trump have recently adopted a defensive posture amidst this escalating backlash. President Trump has characterized AI anxieties as a “hoax.” In September, he convened with chief executives from Nvidia, Meta, and other major technology firms at the White House, where they committed to a non-binding agreement aimed at regulating AI. This agreement encourages companies to implement rigorous internal controls for monitoring AI models during training, empower internal teams to ensure these controls function effectively, engage with independent external auditors, and establish an independent committee to oversee and receive reports from the control-operating teams. President Trump has also voiced opposition to AI regulations, arguing that such measures would place the U.S. at a disadvantage against China in the AI race.