SpaceX Stock Soars on Record IPO, Musk Becomes World’s First Trillionaire
Shares of Elon Musk’s SpaceX skyrocketed by over 20% during its trading debut on Friday, marking a historic initial public offering (IPO) that raised more than $75 billion. This event has crowned Musk as the world’s first trillionaire, as he continues to focus on his mission to send humans to Mars.
The IPO, which became the largest ever, has ignited excitement in the market, especially with many expecting a wave of significant IPOs from AI companies in the coming months. This highly anticipated debut took place on the Nasdaq exchange in New York City, following weeks of heightened interest from investors eager to be part of the rocket and satellite enterprise.
During the launch event held at Starbase in Texas, Musk expressed his ambitious vision, stating, “SpaceX aims to take you to the Moon, to Mars, and ultimately beyond.” His team, he noted, has played a crucial role in making these ambitions a reality, and many employees have found themselves millionaires after the launch.
Around 100 supporters gathered outside Nasdaq as SpaceX celebrated its success, including a bright neon display in Times Square. “Musk has goals that are very forward-thinking and unlike anything else out there,” said Sarin Sio from the financial firm Dovetail, who attended the event at Nasdaq.
In a Thursday filing, SpaceX priced over 555 million shares at $135 each, which valued the company at nearly $1.8 trillion. However, shortly after trading began, shares jumped over 23% to $166. By the end of the day, SpaceX’s market valuation soared to about $2 trillion, placing it among America’s top ten most valuable companies—surpassing giants like Tesla, Meta, and Walmart.
The successful launch could push the total raised to more than $86 billion, with options for nearly 83 million additional shares. Co-founded by Musk in 2002, SpaceX has evolved from a rocket startup to a significant player in satellite operations and has incorporated Musk’s AI venture, xAI, which also runs the social media platform X.
Trading under the ticker “SPCX,” this new conglomerate is set to be closely watched by Wall Street, especially as other AI firms like OpenAI and Anthropic prepare for their own public offerings.
This landmark IPO comes just over a year after Musk stepped down from President Donald Trump’s administration, where he played a controversial role in budgeting discussions while managing his duties at Tesla and SpaceX. Musk’s political affiliations and comments have turned him into a polarizing figure, but the recent IPO indicates continued strong support from investors. Reports suggest that the offering was many times oversubscribed, with substantial demand from retail investors.
Wealth Among Employees
The IPO is anticipated to create thousands of new millionaires and several billionaires, particularly among former and current employees and investors who have been part of SpaceX’s journey over nearly 25 years. The company’s future valuation hinges on Musk’s ability to fulfill ambitious plans, like establishing data centers in space and transporting humans to Mars, all while relying on technologies that are yet to be proven.
A significant portion of SpaceX’s growth will depend on expanding its Starlink satellite internet service and the success of xAI. Additionally, SpaceX is leasing its AI computing power to Anthropic and Google through lucrative short-term contracts.
Despite SpaceX’s rapid growth—revenue reached $18.7 billion in 2025—the company reported a net loss of $4.9 billion, primarily due to investments in AI development. In an extraordinary forecast, SpaceX’s filing claimed potential revenue exceeding $28.5 trillion across various sectors.
This achievement solidifies Musk as the richest person in the world, a status that hasn’t come without criticism. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pointed out the contrasting reality for many Americans: “The world will get its first trillionaire while people across the country are struggling to save for retirement.”
