As Elon Musk prepares for what will likely be the biggest listing in history, some top-tier bankers assisting with SpaceX\u2019s public debut are lining up to sing Musk\u2019s praises ahead of the big day.<\/p>\n
SpaceX<\/a> is targeting a price of $135 per share when the company goes public\u2014which could happen as early as next week<\/a>. Such pricing could raise a record-setting $75 billion, and potentially turn Musk into the world\u2019s very first trillionaire. A successful IPO would also likely be very good business for the legion of banks gearing their investors up for a potentially blockbuster series of public listings throughout the rest of the year. And one unlikely ally on his side is JPMorgan Chase<\/a> CEO Jamie Dimon, who, despite their public feud years ago, is now singing Musk\u2019s praises.<\/p>\n \u201cElon is the Edison of our time,\u201d Dimon said during a virtual interview<\/a> with Musk Thursday, part of a road show event hosted by the bank at its Manhattan headquarters and attended by several thousands<\/a> of the bank\u2019s high-net-worth clients.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been an extraordinary 24 years watching Elon grow over time, and now making a massive leap into the future,\u201d Dimon said during the event. The interview opened with an in-person special guest appearance by his mother, Maye Musk, who similarly lavished praise on her son, noting his seemingly prodigal vision of the future as a child.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you were 3 years old, and I told people, \u2018I have a genius son,\u2019 they would roll their eyes,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you said you wanted to start with rockets, then I rolled my eyes. And then, you did it.\u201d<\/p>\n A congratulatory introduction from his mother is one thing, but Dimon\u2019s words might have surprised Musk just a few years ago. The pair were involved in a well-publicized feud\u2014that included a $162 million lawsuit<\/a> filed by JPMorgan against Tesla<\/a>, Musk\u2019s electric car company, in 2021 over an alleged contract breach regarding stock warrants. The bank dropped its lawsuit last year.<\/p>\n But Dimon started putting on a charm offensive as early as the World Economic Forum meeting in January of this year, well before SpaceX\u2019s lucrative IPO was a reality. \u201cThe guy is our Einstein,\u201d Dimon said of Musk during a CNBC interview<\/a> at Davos, adding that the two had patched up their disagreement.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to be helpful to him and his companies as much as we can,\u201d Dimon said. In April, SpaceX would go on to confidentially file for an IPO<\/a>.<\/p>\n To navigate the blockbuster offering, SpaceX has tapped some of Wall Street\u2019s most elite names to underwrite, publicize, and advise on the entire affair. Earlier this year, SpaceX reportedly was working with at least 21 banks<\/a> in preparation for the IPO, including heavyweights such as JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley<\/a>, Goldman Sachs, and Bank of America<\/a>. Over the past few months, these institutions have taken on the job of pitching investors, distributing shares ahead of the public listing date, and creating buzz for the company and its mission.<\/p>\n That publicity role has taken on even more importance this week during SpaceX\u2019s IPO road show, the pre-listing window when companies and their backers deliver final pitches to investors and move the hype machine into high gear through a marketing blitz and high-profile media appearances.<\/p>\n Musk, known for his demanding leadership style and divisive politics, also sought to soften his image somewhat during the interview with Dimon.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m probably more chill than I used to be,\u201d said the man whose previous stunts included taking a \u201cchainsaw for bureaucracy\u201d to the stage at CPAC just a year ago. \u201cNot that laid-back, but more than I used to be.\u201d<\/p>\n JPMorgan isn\u2019t the only financial institution to have sung SpaceX\u2019s praises of late. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley recently redecorated<\/a> their headquarters\u2019 lobbies with SpaceX branding and paraphernalia. Bank of America has organized launch parties<\/a> at a scale more often associated with a Hollywood celebrity event, and lit up the spire<\/a> of its Manhattan skyscraper to resemble a rocket takeoff. Several banks have circulated notes and research predicting massive revenue for the space exploration company and high promise for investors, including one recent Morgan Stanley note forecasting SpaceX to notch $3.4 trillion in revenue<\/a> in 2040.<\/p>\n The banks involved with SpaceX\u2019s listing have a strong incentive for investors to get excited. Despite SpaceX reportedly playing hardball<\/a> in negotiating its fees with banks, the consortium of institutions propping up the IPO are still on track to rake in $500 million from the offering. Several of the banks working with SpaceX might also be playing a long game. Institutions including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs are preparing to pitch highly anticipated IPOs<\/a> for OpenAI and Anthropic later this year, making a successful SpaceX debut just the start of what could potentially be a lucrative second half of 2026.<\/p>\n This story was originally featured on Fortune.com<\/a><\/p>\n