SpaceX IPO debut rockets to $2.1 trillion valuation, closes up 20% on first day

SpaceX IPO valuation shatters records

The debut of SpaceX IPO on Nasdaq set a new benchmark, with the stock opening above $150 per share and closing at $161.11, delivering a ↑ $2.1 trillion market cap and propelling Elon Musk’s net worth past the $1 trillion mark. Opening trade volume topped $11.4 billion, with more than 172 million shares changing hands before the bell.

Trading frenzy and market impact

By midday the price hovered between $162 and $165, spiking to $175 before settling near $169. The exchange processed over 360 million shares, dwarfing the second‑largest IPO of 2026.

“SpaceX wants to take anyone to the moon and beyond,” Musk told employees at the Starbase venue.

Gwynne Shotwell rang the opening bell, and staff donned green shoes to nod at the greenshoe option that underwriters used to stabilize the issue. The offering priced at $135 per share for 555.6 million shares, raising $75 billion and valuing the firm at $1.77 trillion; underwriters hold a 30‑day option for an extra 83.3 million shares, potentially lifting proceeds to $86.25 billion. Reuters noted the raise is nearly three times the previous record set by Saudi Aramco. Despite a ↓ $4.9 billion net loss in 2025, analysts see the IPO as a gateway for trillions of passive‑investment dollars via fast‑track Nasdaq‑100 inclusion. Critics, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, decried the wealth concentration, while supporters hailed it as a triumph of the American Dream. The road to the listing involved a 21‑bank syndicate led by Goldman Sachs, a $250 billion order book, and a rapid SEC review that cleared the S‑1 by early June. Bloomberg predicts the stock will face volatility typical of mega‑cap debuts, but its long‑term trajectory could reshape the space‑tech sector.

Analysis by: Victor Hale

Equities & Market Dynamics Analyst