SpaceX to Offer Insider Shares at Record-Setting Valuation

(Bloomberg) — SpaceX is preparing to sell insider shares in a transaction that would value Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker at a valuation higher than OpenAI’s record-setting $500 billion, people familiar with the matter said.

The company’s latest tender offer, discussed by its board of directors on Thursday at SpaceX’s Starbase hub in Texas, could change based on interest from insider sellers and buyers, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information.

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If confirmed, the new transaction would make SpaceX once again the world’s most valuable closely held company, surpassing a previous record of $500 billion that ChatGPT owner OpenAI set in October.

Under one preliminary scenario, SpaceX could include a per-share price of around $300, which would value the company at roughly $560 billion, two of the people said. The details of the transaction could change before it closes, including fetching even higher valuations, a third person said.

A representative for SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The latest figure would be a substantial increase from the $212 a share set in July, when the company raised money and sold shares at a valuation of $400 billion.

The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, earlier reported that a deal would value SpaceX at an eye-watering $800 billion, though Bloomberg could not independently confirm the reporting.

News of SpaceX’s value sent shares of EchoStar Corp., a satellite TV and wireless company, up as much as 18%. Last month, Echostar had agreed to sell spectrum licenses to SpaceX for $2.6 billion, adding to an earlier agreement to sell about $17 billion in wireless spectrum to Musk’s company.

The world’s most prolific rocket launcher, SpaceX dominates the space industry with its Falcon 9 rocket that launches satellites and people to orbit.

SpaceX is also the industry leader in providing internet services from low-Earth orbit through Starlink, a system of more than 9,000 satellites that is far ahead of competitors including Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon Leo.

SpaceX executives have repeatedly floated the idea of spinning off SpaceX’s Starlink business into a separate, publicly traded company — a concept President Gwynne Shotwell first suggested in 2020.

However, Musk repeatedly cast doubt on the prospect publicly over the years and Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen said in 2024 that a Starlink IPO would be something that would take place more likely “in the years to come.”

The Information, citing people familiar with the discussions, separately reported on Friday that SpaceX has told investors and financial institution representatives that it is aiming for an initial public offering for the entire company in the second half of next year.

A so-called tender or secondary offering, through which employees and some early shareholders can sell shares, provides investors in closely held companies such as SpaceX a way to generate liquidity.

SpaceX is working to develop its new Starship vehicle, advertised as the most powerful rocket ever developed to loft huge numbers of Starlink satellites as well as carry cargo and people to moon and, eventually, Mars.

(Updates throughout with details on SpaceX’s transaction, plans for IPO.)

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