Politics
Trump Accounts Could Expand To 100M American Adults
Americans under 40 could become eligible for Trump Accounts under a proposed expansion of the children’s investment program, its chief architect told New York Post columnist Lydia Moynihan.
Brad Gerstner, founder, chairman, and CEO of Altimeter Capital, said he is working on legislation to broaden access and make funding permanent. The legislation could emerge within months, according to Moynihan’s opinion column.
The change would open the program to adults, extending an initiative currently limited to U.S. citizens younger than 18. Gerstner said the expanded accounts could be used for retirement, education, or starting a business.
The push comes as Elon Musk pledged to give American children a financial stake in SpaceX.
“Next year, I will give one of my SpaceX shares to every kid in America,” Musk announced on X.
The giveaway would be distributed through Trump Accounts and be worth nearly $11 billion at the company’s current market valuation, according to sources cited by Moynihan.
Gerstner called Musk’s pledge “the tip of the iceberg,” referring both to potential private contributions and the number of Americans who could eventually benefit.
He estimated that private donations to Trump Accounts could reach $100 billion by the end of 2027 as more technology industry leaders join supporters, including Susan and Michael Dell, Ray Dalio and Gwynne Shotwell.
Money deposited in the accounts is invested in the stock market, giving children an opportunity to accumulate assets before adulthood. Gerstner wants to extend that approach as Americans confront uncertainty over how artificial intelligence could reshape their jobs and financial futures.
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“Welfare checks do not compound, but ownership compounds,” Gerstner told Moynihan. “You don’t help people by creating more dependency.”
He argued that the accounts could give Americans who have little experience investing a way to start building wealth.
“It sucks to not even know how to get in the game… But with these accounts, everyone has a million dollars within their grasp,” he said. “It makes sure every kid has a stake in the economy.”
Musk’s announcement followed a separate pledge Sunday from AI company Anthropic to put 5% of its shares into a philanthropic fund.
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Moynihan drew a sharp distinction between the two approaches, favoring direct ownership for Americans over a fund whose priorities would be set by company leaders.
According to her column, Anthropic’s plans include nonprofit donations and possible direct distributions. The division of those funds and the eligibility requirements remained unclear.
Moynihan argued that corporate donations to Trump Accounts could help Americans build their own assets instead of leaving charitable spending decisions to executives and nonprofit organizations.
She also flagged a potential conflict for Washington: Whether companies that contribute billions to the accounts could receive favorable treatment when seeking merger approvals or other government decisions.
The proposed expansion has not been enacted, and Gerstner’s $100 billion estimate represents his forecast for private contributions through next year. His immediate push is to broaden eligibility beyond children and establish permanent funding through legislation.
