SpaceX IPO Raises $75 Billion Making Musk First Trillionaire
SpaceX's $75 billion IPO — the largest in U.S. history — reshapes the investment landscape, creates the world's first trillionaire, and has massive downstream implications for the space industry, AI, and Silicon Valley. The concurrent whistleblower lawsuit adds a significant governance dimension.
The Morning Brief · June 14, 2026 · Based on reporting by BBC World
SpaceX completed the largest IPO in U.S. history this week, raising $75 billion when shares debuted Friday on the Nasdaq at an initial price of $135. The stock closed up 19% on its first day of trading, valuing the company at $2.2 trillion. The milestone pushed Elon Musk's net worth to $1.11 trillion, making him the world's first trillionaire according to the Bloomberg rich list.
The debut arrived alongside a significant governance complication. A former xAI engineer filed suit this week against both xAI and SpaceX, alleging he was terminated for raising AI safety concerns about Grok just days before the IPO. The lawsuit adds a whistleblower dimension to the biggest capital markets event of 2026. The offering surpassed the previous U.S. IPO record and sent valuations surging across the commercial space and AI sectors.
Sources
BBC World — Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire as SpaceX soars in stock market debut
Musk is now worth $1.11tn according to the Bloomberg rich list, while SpaceX listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange with a value of $2.2tn.
TechCrunch — SpaceX IPO closes up 19% and delivers the world's first trillionaire
The company made its heavily anticipated debut on Friday, trading higher than its initial $135 IPO price, raising $75 billion in the largest IPO on record.
TechCrunch — xAI fired an engineer who raised alarms about Grok safety, new lawsuit claims
A former xAI engineer is suing the company and SpaceX, alleging he was fired for raising AI safety concerns about Grok days before SpaceX's historic IPO.
