Elon Musk is planning something characteristically unconventional for SpaceX's blockbuster public debut. The billionaire wants to time the company's IPO for June, aligning the offering with both his 55th birthday on June 28th and a rare planetary alignment of Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter in early June, according to the Financial Times. If it happens, SpaceX could raise at least $50 billion at a staggering $1.5 trillion valuation, making it one of the largest public offerings in history.
SpaceX is preparing for what could be the most astronomical IPO in tech history, and Elon Musk wants the timing to be, well, cosmic. The company is eyeing a June public offering that would align with Musk's 55th birthday on June 28th and a rare planetary alignment happening in early June, when Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter will converge in the night sky, according to the Financial Times.
The timing might sound whimsical, but the numbers are deadly serious. SpaceX is looking to raise at least $50 billion at a $1.5 trillion valuation, which would rank among the largest public offerings ever recorded. For context, that valuation would make SpaceX worth more than Tesla was at its 2020 peak and rival the market caps of some of the world's largest corporations.
The FT notes those figures are likely to change as bankers and advisors hammer out the details, but even conservative estimates would put this IPO in record-breaking territory. The company has been quietly laying the groundwork for months, and sources close to the process say Musk has been personally involved in discussions about the optimal timing.
SpaceX's valuation has been on a tear. Just two months ago in December, the company held a secondary sale that pegged its value at $800 billion, already making it America's most valuable private company. The jump from $800 billion to $1.5 trillion in half a year reflects both the company's breakneck operational tempo and the market's appetite for space investments.
The funding push comes as SpaceX ramps up development of Starship, the fully reusable rocket system that Musk sees as the key to establishing a human presence on Mars. Starship has completed several test flights, each one pushing closer to operational readiness, but the program still needs billions in capital to reach full-scale production and deployment.
