{"id":684878,"date":"2026-05-21T09:33:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/684878\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T09:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T09:33:15","slug":"spacex-files-for-largest-ipo-in-history-with-potential-to-make-elon-musk-the-worlds-first-trillionaire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/684878\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX files for largest IPO in history, with potential to make Elon Musk the world&#8217;s first trillionaire"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Space exploration company SpaceX has filed the paperwork needed to undergo its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) which could make founder and chief executive Elon Musk the world&#8217;s first trillionaire.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">SpaceX valued itself at approximately $US1.25 trillion ($1.75 trillion) earlier this year after its merger with xAI, which would make it the <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/companiesmarketcap.com\/aud\/\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">12th-largest publicly traded company in the world<\/a> by market cap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The IPO filing does not specify what percentage of the company will be sold off, but The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Mr Musk is looking to raise <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/finance\/spacex-ipo-elon-musk-prepare-1367846a\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">between $US40 billion and $US80 billion<\/a> from the sale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">This would make SpaceX&#8217;s stock market debut by far the largest in history, eclipsing the previous record of $US25.6 billion set by <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2019-11-04\/saudi-arabian-oil-company-aramco-to-go-partially-public\/11667858\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/11667858\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Saudi oil company Aramco<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A smooth silhouette of Elon Musk's face sits in front of a black and white SpaceX logo.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/9f21824720f023472272adec516e3b17.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Elon Musk&#8217;s SpaceX IPO could make him the world&#8217;s first trillionaire. (Illustration via Reuters: Dado Ruvic)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Mr Musk is set to retain about 42 per cent of SpaceX after the IPO, though a dual-class share structure will continue to grant him more than 85 per cent of the voting power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">That means if the IPO raises an amount near the upper end of the company&#8217;s target number, his share in the company would be worth more than $600 billion, skyrocketing his total net worth to over $US1 trillion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">It comes after Mr Musk only became the <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-10-02\/elon-musk-worlds-richest\/105844954\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/105844954\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first person in the world to amass $US500 billion<\/a> in October last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">While the SEC is not required to officially approve the IPO (or the company&#8217;s valuation), it must determine the company&#8217;s prospectus is accurate and provides adequate risk assessments to potential investors before the offering goes ahead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The company is seeking a Nasdaq listing with the ticker SPCX. Reuters <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/markets\/stocks\/articles\/exclusive-spacex-accelerates-ipo-timeline-194800007.html\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported last week<\/a> that it is aiming to begin trading on June 12.<\/p>\n<p>First insights into SpaceX financials<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/1181412\/000162828026036936\/spaceexplorationtechnologi.htm\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">prospectus document filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)<\/a> on Wednesday, US time, gives the public its first ever detailed look into SpaceX&#8217;s financial situation, including its budget bottom line, revenue sources and plans for the future.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The company, which also owns satellite internet provider Starlink and artificial intelligence company xAI, lost roughly $US4.3 billion in the first quarter of this year, according to the filing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-02-14\/new-crew-launch-towards-international-space-tation\/106343980\" data-component=\"FullBleedLink\" class=\"RelatedCard_link__rsgR9 FullBleedLink_root__lTw_U interactive_focusContext__yRhc_ interactive_defaults__AKxUU FullBleedLink_showVisited__g3Xvz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SpaceX launches new crew to International Space Station<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP RelatedCard_synopsis__cFwMW Typography_sizeMobile14__u7TGe Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">SpaceX launched the replacements at NASA&#8217;s request, sending the US, French and Russian astronauts on an expected eight- to nine-month mission to the ISS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Starlink accounts for the vast majority of its revenue, bringing in about $US3.2 billion over that same quarter for an operating profit of $US1.2 billion, and is projected to generate more than 70 per cent of company revenue in 2026.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">But xAI, which SpaceX acquired in February \u2014 Mr Musk <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/elonmusk\/status\/2032201568335044978\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow\">later tweeted<\/a> it &#8220;was not built right first time around&#8221; \u2014 is a drag on the balance sheet, losing about $US6.4 billion in 2025 (and incurring $US189 million in legal expenses).<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The filing nevertheless says AI remains &#8220;an integral pillar of our vertically integrated company&#8221;, with Mr Musk planning to dissolve the xAI brand and incorporate it into SpaceX.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">&#8220;AI accelerates SpaceX&#8217;s mission to make life multi-planetary, to understand the true nature of the universe, and to extend the light of consciousness to the stars,&#8221; the document says.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Elon Musk points at something in the distance while Donald Trump, wearing a blue suit and red MAGA cap, watches on.\" class=\"Image_image__5tFYM ContentImage_image__DQ_cq\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/51562b136106f5e0fdd34166323ade34.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\" data-component=\"Image\" data-lazy=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP FigureCaption_text__zDxQ5 Typography_sizeMobile12__w_FPC Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">SpaceX has a number of US government contracts related to defence and space exploration. (Pool via Reuters: Brandon Bell)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The company&#8217;s stellar aspirations don&#8217;t stop at a massive valuation or multi-planetary consciousness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">On the same day as SpaceX filed its IPO, the head of the US Federal Aviation Administration said the company aimed to be launching about 10,000 satellites a year within a five-year time frame, citing a meeting with the company&#8217;s president, Gwynne Shotwell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">However, FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said the authority would need to see SpaceX demonstrating &#8220;a lot more reliability&#8221; before it would receive FAA approval for such a launch volume.<\/p>\n<p>Investors to weigh risk of Musk involvement<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">It remains to be seen whether investors will embrace the SpaceX IPO.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">The company has long been seen as one of Mr Musk&#8217;s more reliable ventures, with massive government contracts, proven technology and strict regulatory oversight making it stand out ahead of controversy magnets such as <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-05-21\/x-admits-noncompliance-with-australian-child-protection-request\/106704850\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/106704850\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">X Corp<\/a> and <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-12-06\/musk-neuralink-faces-federal-probe-employee-backlash-over-an\/101737554\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/101737554\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Neuralink<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-02-07\/tesla-sales-slump-off-back-of-elon-musks-allegiances-with-trump\/104905068\" data-component=\"FullBleedLink\" class=\"RelatedCard_link__rsgR9 FullBleedLink_root__lTw_U interactive_focusContext__yRhc_ interactive_defaults__AKxUU FullBleedLink_showVisited__g3Xvz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Tesla sales slump off the back of Elon Musk&#8217;s political views <\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Typography_base__sj2RP RelatedCard_synopsis__cFwMW Typography_sizeMobile14__u7TGe Typography_lineHeightMobile20___U7Vr Typography_regular__WeIG6 Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx\" data-component=\"Typography\">Tesla sales have declined globally, including a 30 per cent drop in Australia in January 2025. Experts say it&#8217;s due to Elon Musk&#8217;s political views.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">However, the structure of the IPO specifies Mr Musk will retain an overwhelming majority of voting power and his close association with his brands has <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-04-27\/elon-musk-trying-to-fix-damaged-tesla-brand\/105209940\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/105209940\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">proven to be toxic<\/a> in the case of his other publicly traded company.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Tesla sales slumped in the first quarter of 2025 as Mr Musk embraced his alliance with US President Donald Trump, delivering <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-01-22\/elon-musk-accused-salute-donald-trump-inauguration\/104845166\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/104845166\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">what appeared to be a Nazi salute<\/a> at the president&#8217;s inauguration and taking on an ill-fated role as the <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-02-15\/elon-musks-doge-agency-explained\/104929704\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/104929704\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">White House&#8217;s &#8220;DOGE&#8221; cost-cutting tsar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">A number of high-profile shareholders publicly vented about Mr Musk&#8217;s scandals and lack of focus on the company, resulting in the board of directors offering the CEO a <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2025-11-08\/elon-musk-tesla-shareholder-meeting-trillion-dollar-payday\/105985856\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/105985856\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">record-setting pay packet<\/a> to encourage him to keep his extra-curricular activities to a minimum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Since then, Mr Musk has undergone a series of further scandals, including <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/nov\/08\/elon-musk-global-far-right\" data-component=\"Link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">more support for far-right causes<\/a>, the launch of an image generation feature for xAI&#8217;s Grok chatbot that allowed users to <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-01-03\/reports-xai-grok-undressed-minors-in-photos-on-x\/106196308\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/106196308\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">generate deepfake images of minors<\/a>, and a <a class=\"Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/3\/21\/us-jury-finds-elon-musk-misled-investors-during-twitter-purchase\" data-component=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">jury finding that he misled Twitter&#8217;s shareholders<\/a> in 2022 in an attempt to drive down the stock price ahead of his $US44 billion purchase.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph_paragraph___QITb\">Also on Thursday, a Federal Court judge <a class=\"Link_link__kR0xA Link_link__5eL5m ScreenReaderOnly_srLinkHint__OysWz Link_showVisited__C1Fea Link_showFocus__ALyv2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2026-05-21\/x-admits-noncompliance-with-australian-child-protection-request\/106704850\" data-component=\"Link\" data-uri=\"coremedia:\/\/article\/106704850\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">ordered X Corp to pay a $650,000 fine<\/a> after it admitted to failing to comply with a notice from Australia&#8217;s eSafety Commissioner to provide information on the company&#8217;s child protection measures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Space exploration company SpaceX has filed the paperwork needed to undergo its long-awaited initial public offering (IPO) which&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":462107,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99,3120,2944,2945,5437,5707,156257,47514,330150,3123],"class_list":["post-684878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-business","tag-elon-musk","tag-initial-public-offering","tag-ipo","tag-spacex","tag-starlink","tag-trillionaire","tag-valuation","tag-wealth-estimate","tag-xai"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=684878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/684878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/462107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=684878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=684878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=684878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}