'One SpaceX share for every kid in America': Can Elon Musk actually do it?

In a recent announcement, Anthropic, the company behind the Claude chatbot, revealed its plan to donate a portion of its shares to the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund. This new wholly owned entity aims to benefit the public by potentially increasing its stake in the company as it grows. According to Anthropic, the initial commitment is 5% of shares, with an additional 2% added for every 50% increase in the company's value above a pre-set baseline, provided board approval.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter, responded to Anthropic's announcement, suggesting that the company should distribute shares directly to the public instead of through an intermediary entity such as the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund. Musk expressed his intention to follow this approach and recommended others do the same.

Upon launching, the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund will have the flexibility to pursue various public benefit initiatives, such as significant donations to traditional nonprofits or direct distributions to specific populations. The company has already allocated $200 million towards researching and addressing the potential labor market impacts of AI. Moreover, Anthropic's Public Benefit Fund provides increased versatility in pursuing bold approaches, given the rapid pace of AI advancements.

The structure of the Anthropic Public Benefit Fund differs from a traditional 501(c)(3) organization, as it is a wholly-owned LLC. This structure allows for greater flexibility in giving and ensures that none of the Anthropic equity held by the LLC will be used for lobbying or political purposes, both domestically and abroad. Since Anthropic's inception, co-founders have pledged to donate 80% of their equity, and approximately half of the employees have participated in the company's equity donation match program.

When combined with the current announcement, roughly 20% of Anthropic shares will be dedicated to the public good, plus any additional percentage added if the company meets specific valuation milestones.