SpaceX plans to go public with $1.5 trillion valuation, reports say

SpaceX is planning to raise funds for an initial public offering (IPO) that would value Elon Musk’s company at about $1.5 trillion, according to reports.

The public listing, which is reportedly planned for 2026, would rank SpaceX among the top 10 most valuable companies in the world.

SpaceX is seeking to raise more than $25 billion through the IPO, Bloomberg and Reuters reported, citing sources close to the matter.

The company’s rapid expansion in recent years has been largely driven by its Starlink satellite internet business and progress in its Starship rocket program for Moon and Mars missions.

SpaceX has started discussions with banks about launching the offering around June or July, the sources said, requesting anonymity to discuss confidential information.

SpaceX ranks as the world's second most-valuable private startup after ChatGPT maker OpenAI, according to data from Crunchbase. OpenAI and rival Anthropic are also reportedly in talks for an IPO next year.

"If all these deals come through the US IPO market will experience a genuine revival, the green shoots of which have already been seen this year," Samuel Kerr, head of equity capital markets at Mergermarket told Reuters.

The news of the potential IPO comes days after a media report that said SpaceX is kicking off a secondary share sale that would value the rocket-maker at $800 billion. However, Mr Musk dismissed the report, calling it inaccurate.

Saudi Aramco is the only completed IPO to achieve a more than $1 trillion valuation. The state-owned petroleum and natural gas giant debuted in December 2019 with an estimated market capitalization of $1.7 trillion.

SpaceX expects to use funds from the public listing to develop space-based data centres, including purchasing the chips required to run them, according to Bloomberg News.

Several billionaires and private firms are fueling a new space race in the U.S., pouring money into rockets, satellites and lunar missions, including SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin.

With Nasa relying more on commercial partnerships and defense spending rising, the space industry is becoming a high-stakes arena for technological dominance, national security and economic opportunity.

Still, questions about Mr Musk's ability to run multiple listed companies valued at more than $1 trillion could keep investors cautious, analysts said.

"SpaceX could be one of the most divisive stocks to join the market in years," Dan Coatsworth, head of markets at AJ Bell told Reuters.

"If SpaceX did float, expect growing pressure on Musk to commit to only one of his listed entities Tesla or SpaceX. It's hard to see how one individual could run two $1 trillion+ companies at the same time."

SpaceX is expected to generate around $15 billion in revenue this year, with that figure rising above $20 billion in 2026.

SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

Additional reporting from agencies