SpaceX Soars to $1.77 Trillion Valuation in Record IPO, Closes Up 19% on First Day
SpaceX began public trading on June 12, 2026, with shares priced at $135 and closing at $161, making it the largest IPO in market history valued at $1.77 trillion. The company raised $75 billion and allocated 30% of shares to retail investors, an unusually high proportion.
Historic Market Debut
SpaceX began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX on Friday, June 12, 2026. Shares opened at $150 and climbed sharply, with the IPO valued at $1.77 trillion. SpaceX confirmed the pricing of its initial public offering of 555,555,555 shares of its Class A common stock, at a public offering price of $135.00 per share. The stock's 19% first-day gain made this the most retail-accessible mega-IPO ever executed.
What Makes SpaceX Different
SpaceX acquired Musk's startup, xAI, in February 2026, bringing with it the company's data centers, Grok AI models and an embattled AI chatbot and image generator, as well as the social network X, formerly known as Twitter. This acquisition significantly broadened SpaceX's business beyond rockets and satellites into the booming AI infrastructure space. SpaceX set aside about 30% of its public shares for everyday investors like you, instead of the usual 5% to 10%. This retail-friendly approach marked a sharp departure from typical mega-cap IPO allocation practices.
Financial Reality Check
Despite the market enthusiasm, questions remain about fundamentals. According to its prospectus, SpaceX has accumulated a total loss of $41.3 billion since it was founded in 2002. SpaceX "represents a stock that's trading not on fundamentals," according to Robert Greifeld, former chief of the Nasdaq, noting that the company is performing "on the aspiration of what's possible with human spirit going forward in time."
What's Next for Tech IPOs
Industry observers expect OpenAI and Anthropic to follow SpaceX to the public market this year, with analysts noting that "Anthropic and OpenAI have a more clear and present business model" and that "the window is open, SpaceX has opened it." The offering is expected to close on June 15, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.