SpaceX Lifts Valuation to $800 Billion, Confirms IPO Target for 2026

SpaceX has raised its valuation to $800 billion in a fresh internal share sale, reinforcing its position as the world’s most valuable private company and setting the stage for what could become the largest initial public offering in history.

According to an internal memo sent to shareholders and reviewed by Bloomberg, the Elon Musk–owned rocket and satellite maker is preparing for a potential public listing in 2026, as it seeks to fund an ambitious expansion spanning deep space exploration and next-generation technology infrastructure.

The memo, signed by Chief Financial Officer Bret Johnsen, set the price of SpaceX shares at $421, nearly double the $212 per share valuation recorded in July, when the company was valued at about $400 billion.

The planned IPO is intended to support an aggressive investment strategy, including a rapid launch cadence of the experimental Starship rocket, the development of artificial intelligence data centers in space, and the establishment of a permanent base on the Moon, according to the memo.

SpaceX is currently moving forward with a secondary share sale, allowing existing shareholders, particularly employees, to sell portions of their holdings or increase their stakes, a practice the company typically conducts twice a year.

While the company confirmed preparations for a possible IPO, Johnsen cautioned that timing and valuation remain uncertain, and that SpaceX could ultimately decide not to proceed with a public offering.

The new $800 billion valuation surpasses the previous private-market record of $500 billion, set by OpenAI in October, restoring SpaceX’s status as the highest-valued private company globally.

Bloomberg reported earlier this week that SpaceX may seek to raise well above $30 billion in an eventual IPO, a deal that would eclipse all previous public offerings if completed.

Longer term, the company is targeting a valuation of up to $1.5 trillion, a level that would place it close to the market capitalization achieved by Saudi Aramco during its landmark 2019 listing.

A representative for SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., did not respond to a request for comment.

Founded and led by Elon Musk, SpaceX has become the most active launch provider in the world, dominating orbital access through its Falcon 9 rocket, which routinely carries satellites and astronauts into space.

The company also leads the low-Earth-orbit broadband market via Starlink, its rapidly expanding satellite constellation that now includes thousands of satellites and serves millions of customers worldwide.

If SpaceX proceeds with a 2026 IPO, it would mark a defining moment not only for global capital markets, but also for the commercialization of space, transforming Musk’s long-term vision into a publicly traded bet on humanity’s future beyond Earth.