What it funds. Renewable energy, human spaceflight, pediatric research, science education, and safe AI.
How it is funded. Endowed mostly in Tesla stock, so its giving power rises and falls with the share price.
The pledge. Elon Musk signed the Giving Pledge, promising to give away most of his wealth.
The philanthropy, in detail
Where the giving goes, from Foundation grants to crisis-response connectivity and charging.
Personal commitment
The Giving Pledge
Majority of personal wealth (now valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars)
In 2012 Elon Musk signed The Giving Pledge, publicly committing to give the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes during his.
United States · 2012
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Elon_Musk (Philanthropy: The Giving Pledge)
Musk Foundation funding
$5.7B Tesla stock gift to charity
About $5.7 billion in Tesla stock
In November 2021 Elon Musk transferred roughly 5.04 million Tesla shares worth about $5.7 billion to charity, primarily the Musk.
United States · November 2021
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation (Expansion; Funding Sources)
Additional $1.95B Tesla stock gift
About $1.95 billion in Tesla stock (reported)
In 2022 Elon Musk donated approximately $1.9 to $1.95 billion of additional Tesla stock to the Musk Foundation, extending the roughly $7.
United States · 2022
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation (Funding Sources)
Disaster response / connectivity
Free Supercharging and unlocked battery range in hurricane evacuations
Fleet-wide OTA, reported
Ahead of the 2017 Hurricane Irma evacuation, Tesla pushed a free over-the-air update that temporarily unlocked the full battery capacity on.
Florida and US hurricane evacuation zones · 2017 and later
Grokipedia, Tesla, Inc. (tesla.com)
Free Starlink for Hurricane Helene and Milton victims
Free service extended through end of 2024 across hurricane-affected regions
After Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the southeastern United States in 2024, SpaceX made Starlink service free for people in the.
Florida and the southeastern United States · 2024 (after September and October 2024 storms)
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (disaster response; free service)
Starlink Direct to Cell emergency texting in US disasters
Coverage for millions of T-Mobile subscribers across affected disaster zones
Starlink Direct to Cell lets an ordinary, unmodified phone connect to satellites acting as cell towers in space, so people in dead zones.
United States (hurricane zones and Los Angeles, California) · September 2024 onward
Local verified file explainers/_work/result.json (Starlink Direct to Cell explainer; sourced to grokipedia.com/page/Starlink)
Starlink humanitarian connectivity policy: SpaceX does not profit from misfortune
Fees waived across multiple disaster and blackout events worldwide
SpaceX maintains a stated policy, articulated by Elon Musk as SpaceX does not profit from misfortune, of providing free Starlink service in.
Indonesia, California, and other crisis zones · Ongoing policy (multiple events through 2026)
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (Humanitarian and Emergency Connectivity)
Clean energy / climate
XPRIZE Carbon Removal
$100 million prize purse, with a $50 million grand prize
The Musk Foundation funded a $100 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition launched in 2021 to reward technologies that pull carbon.
Global competition (United States based foundation) · 2021 launch; winner announced 2025
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Elon_Musk and grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation (Notable Grants)
Musk Foundation grants
Record 2024 grantmaking year
$474 million in grants in 2024
In 2024 the Musk Foundation disbursed a record $474 million in grants, directed primarily to science, education, and health initiatives.
United States · 2024
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation (Assets and Distributions)
Pediatric research
$55M to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
$55 million
The Musk Foundation contributed $55 million to St.
Memphis, Tennessee, United States · 2021
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Elon_Musk (Musk Foundation, pediatric research) and grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation
$50M personal gift to St. Jude after Inspiration4
$50 million personal donation (part of a $240M+ campaign)
Tied to the all-civilian Inspiration4 SpaceX flight, Elon Musk personally donated $50 million to St.
Memphis, Tennessee, United States · September 2021
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Inspiration4
Science and engineering education
Education grants: Ad Astra / Astra Nova and Austin STEM school
About $100 million to the Austin STEM school (reported), plus Khan Academy support
Elon Musk co-founded the experimental Ad Astra school in 2014 on the SpaceX campus, which became the nonprofit Astra Nova online school for.
Texas, United States · 2014 founding; ~$100M gift reported 2023
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Elon_Musk (Science and engineering education) and grokipedia.com/page/Musk_Foundation
Crisis response / connectivity
Starlink connectivity for Ukraine after the 2022 invasion
Over 42,000 terminals by mid-2023; initial terminals donated and partly funded later by a US Department of Defense contract
SpaceX activated Starlink over Ukraine within days of Russia's full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, and shipped thousands of terminals.
Ukraine · February 2022 onward
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (Broader Geopolitical Ramifications); Walter Isaacson, Elon Musk (2023)
Free Starlink broadband for Venezuela
Free broadband for roughly one month
From January to February 3, 2026, SpaceX provided free Starlink broadband internet in Venezuela, stated as being in support of the people.
Venezuela · January to February 2026
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (Humanitarian and Emergency Connectivity)
Conflict / connectivity
Free Starlink during the Iran internet blackout
Subscription fees waived for tens of thousands of users
During Iran's nationwide internet shutdown beginning January 8, 2026, SpaceX waived Starlink subscription fees so activists and ordinary.
Iran · January 2026
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (Humanitarian and Emergency Connectivity; Iran blackout)
Education / connectivity
Starlink for schools in underserved and remote communities
100 remote learning sites worldwide under the 2026 partnership
Starlink has been deployed to connect schools and learners in remote and underserved areas, including a February 2026 partnership with the.
Global (remote and underserved communities) · February 2026
Grokipedia, grokipedia.com/page/Starlink (education connectivity; The Digital School partnership)