SpaceX intends to go public in 2026 and will seek a valuation of $1.5 trillion, according to media reports.
Elon Musk's company has been private since its founding in March 2002. Over the past six days, however, speculation has swirled that SpaceX will hold an initial public offering (IPO) next year, offering investors the chance to buy shares for the first time.
The Wall Street Journal and The Information first reported this plan last Friday (Dec. 5), and other outlets soon followed up. For example, a Bloomberg story on Tuesday (Dec. 9) suggested that SpaceX will seek a valuation of $1.5 trillion, which would make it one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world. The IPO, which is apparently targeted for mid- to late 2026, could raise a record $30 billion or more.
On Wednesday (Dec. 10), Ars Technica's Eric Berger posted a story confirming the IPO rumors and offering an explanation for the move: SpaceX wants to raise money to pay for the buildout of data centers in space, which Musk and a growing number of people believe will be a key enabler of the coming AI revolution.
"Foremost among Musk's goals right now is to 'win' the battle for artificial intelligence. He is already attacking the problem at xAI and Tesla, and he now seeks to throw SpaceX into the fray as well," Berger wrote. "Taking SpaceX public and using it to marshal an incredible amount of resources shows he is playing to win."
SpaceX's initial off-Earth data centers will be modified versions of the company's Starlink broadband satellites, according to Berger, who has written two books about SpaceX. But the company's long-term vision involves setting up AI-satellite factories on the moon and launching them into space using railguns, he added, citing a Dec. 7 X post by Musk.
Berger's sources are apparently reliable, for Musk backed the piece in a Wednesday X post. "As usual, Eric is accurate," the billionaire wrote.
The IPO news has stirred concern among some space fans, who worry that a publicly traded SpaceX won't be as free to pursue its Mars-settlement plans, which hinge on the development and operation of the company's giant, fully reusable Starship rocket. After all, establishing a city on Mars will be extremely expensive, with little financial return in the short term — not exactly the mission profile that most investors are keen to support.
However, Berger thinks Musk views the IPO as a way to help fund Mars settlement, which the billionaire has long stressed is his overarching goal and the reason he founded SpaceX in the first place.
"Musk has frequently expressed a concern that there may be a limited window for settling Mars," Berger wrote. "Perhaps financial markets collapse. Perhaps there’s a worse pandemic. Perhaps a large asteroid hits the planet. Taking SpaceX public now is a bet that he can marshal the resources now, during his lifetime, to make Mars City One a reality. He is 54 years old."
