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SpaceX is set to be the largest ever IPO. Everything you need to know

Click to play video: 'SpaceX is going public. Its valuation is truly out of this world'
SpaceX is going public. Its valuation is truly out of this world
Weeks after humanity went further into space than ever before on the Artemis II, the leading private space company announced it's going public. Some estimates put SpaceX's valuation at nearly USD $2 trillion, the highest ever. It would make the richest man in history — owner Elon Musk — even richer and possibly become the world’s first trillionaire – May 21, 2026

SpaceX officially launched as a publicly traded company Friday morning, and Elon Musk’s company carries the largest valuation ever seen for a Wall Street debut.

SpaceX has its sights set on some major projects, including more rocket launches both manned and unmanned, construction of AI infrastructure in space along with satellites, ambitions of lunar landings and even missions to Mars.

These projects come at a hefty cost, and the IPO (Initial Public Offering) is expected to provide capital funding for many of these projects depending how popular it becomes.

SpaceX employees celebrate during a bell ringing ceremony for the IPO of SpaceX at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York, Friday, June 12, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

But what makes this launch so distinct?

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“It’s by all accounts a massive, massive company. Not only is it the largest IPO (Initial Public Offering) in history, but it’s the largest by order of magnitude,” says portfolio manager and chief investment officer Josh Sheluk at Verecan Capital Management.

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“Typically a company becomes public and it gradually grows in size. Maybe it starts at five billion or 10 billion or 20 billion, or even a hundred billion dollars worth of company. Now you have a company that’s again, potentially IPOing at a $1.75 trillion valuation, which forces it to be one of the largest positions in all these indexes right off the bat.”

 

SpaceX priced its shares at US$135 each, which makes the total value of the company approximately $1.75 trillion dollars based on the number of shares that will eventually be available to buy. Only about $75 billion worth of the shares that make up that total will be made available today, which could increase demand and send the price higher.

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Demand for shares of SpaceX is reportedly already surging as the opening price is indicated as being $170 versus the initial price of $135. This means there may be a larger than expected number of buy requests.

People watch from outside the Nasdaq MarketSite during a bell ringing ceremony for the IPO of SpaceX in New York, Friday, June 12, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

Bloomberg is also reporting that level of demand, or the amount of money buyers are potentially putting forward to buy a piece of SpaceX,  is about $350 billion. That’s compared to the approximately $75 billion worth of shares initially listed.

“Most of the shares will become available for sale over the course of the year. And so that might change the balance of supply and demand,” said equity analyst Nicolas Owens at Morningstar speaking to Reuters.

“And then everyone will be monitoring these operational milestones around starship reusability, the commercial model for data centers in space.”

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Many day traders on the floor of Wall Street and arm-chair investors alike will be able to get a chance to own a piece of SpaceX while limited shares last.

– With files from Reuters

– More to come

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