SpaceX Creates History, Becomes 6th Most Valuable US-Listed Company At $161 Share Price

Elon Musk’s SpaceX made a historic entry into public markets on Friday, becoming the sixth most valuable listed company in the United States after its shares surged 19 per cent on debut. The stock, trading under the ticker SPCX, closed at $160.95 on its first day on the Nasdaq, giving the company a market capitalisation of about $2.1 trillion.

With this, SpaceX is behind only Nvidia, Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon. The Elon Musk company now ranks ahead of Broadcom, Tesla and Saudi Aramco in terms of market value.

The shares had opened at $150, significantly above their initial public offering (IPO) price of $135, reflecting strong investor demand for one of the world’s most closely watched listings.

The blockbuster IPO raised around $75

billion, making it the largest public offering in history. More than 500 million shares changed hands during the first trading session, underscoring the intense interest from institutional and retail investors alike.

The successful listing also propelled Musk into uncharted territory. With his holdings in SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla now worth hundreds of billions of dollars, Musk became the world’s first individual with a net worth exceeding $1 trillion.

Speaking ahead of the market debut, Musk said the company was entering a major expansion phase and required additional capital to support its long-term ambitions. These include significantly expanding the Starlink satellite network, deploying tens of thousands of additional satellites, and investing in space-based artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Founded in 2002 as a private rocket manufacturer, SpaceX has grown into one of the most influential companies in the global space industry. While its reusable rocket business transformed the economics of space launches, analysts view the Starlink satellite internet division as the company’s primary profit engine.

The company’s public debut comes at a time when investor appetite for artificial intelligence and space-related businesses remains strong. Market participants are already speculating that other high-profile technology firms, including AI leaders OpenAI and Anthropic, could explore public listings in the coming years following SpaceX’s successful launch into the stock market.

Despite the euphoria surrounding the listing, some analysts have questioned whether the company’s valuation adequately reflects the risks associated with its ambitious long-term projects. SpaceX has invested heavily in growth over the years and accumulated substantial losses while building its launch, satellite and AI businesses.

Nevertheless, Friday’s debut marked a landmark moment for both Wall Street and the commercial space industry, cementing SpaceX’s position among America’s corporate giants and giving investors their first opportunity to directly participate in Musk’s vision for the future of space, communications and artificial intelligence.