is preparing to sell
in a transaction that would value
rocket and satellite maker at a
than OpenAI’s record-setting US$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.
If confirmed, the new transaction would make SpaceX once again the world’s most valuable startup, surpassing a previous record of US$500 billion that ChatGPT owner OpenAI set in October.
Under one preliminary scenario, SpaceX could
of around US$300, which would value the company at roughly US$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 US$212 a share set in July, when the company raised money and sold shares at a valuation of US$400 billion.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, earlier reported that a deal would value SpaceX at an eye-watering US$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 per cent. Last month, Echostar had agreed to sell spectrum licenses to SpaceX for US$2.6 billion, adding to an earlier agreement to sell about US$17 billion in wireless spectrum to Musk’s company.
The world’s
, SpaceX dominates the
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.
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
and, eventually, Mars.