SpaceX is now a public company valued for its AI potential, so what comes next?
Ars Technica AI · Eric Berger · 2026-06-12
SpaceX debuted on NASDAQ on June 12, 2026 at $135 per share, closing up 19% at $160.95 and valuing the company at nearly $1.8 trillion, with the IPO framed substantially around AI potential and making Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire on paper.
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Extraction
Topics: spacexipoelon-muskai-valuationspace-tech
Claims
- SpaceX began trading on NASDAQ at $135 per share on June 12, 2026, valuing the company at nearly $1.8 trillion.
- Shares rose more than 19% on the first trading day, closing at $160.95.
- Elon Musk's personal stake was valued at more than $700 billion, making him the world's first trillionaire on paper.
- Thousands of current and former SpaceX employees became millionaires due to the company's stock options plan.
- Investor framing of SpaceX's valuation includes its AI potential as a significant driver.
Key quotes
Space Exploration Technologies, better known simply as SpaceX, became a publicly traded company on Friday nearly a quarter of a century after it was founded.
The company began trading on the NASDAQ exchange in New York City at $135 a share, valuing SpaceX at nearly $1.8 trillion.
On paper, SpaceX founder Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire, with his personal stake in the company valued at more than $700 billion.