SpaceX has notified shareholders that it is moving forward with plans for an initial public offering in 2026, marking the first time the company has directly tied a target year to a public listing. The upgrade came alongside a new internal share sale that puts the company’s value at about 800 billion dollarsaccording to a memo seen by Bloomberg.
The new valuation reflects a share price of $421almost double the level used during SpaceX’s takeover bid in mid-2025, when investors bought and sold shares at $212. At the time, SpaceX was valued at approximately $400 billion.
The updated figure puts SpaceX well ahead of OpenAI’s recent valuation of $500 billion and restores its position as the world’s highest-valued private company.
How SpaceX plans to use money from future IPOs
In the note to investors, the CFO Bret Johnson He said SpaceX is planning an IPO in 2026 to support several large-scale programs already underway. These include:
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A much higher launch rate for starshipthe company’s fully reusable heavy lift rocket
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Storage and computing systems launched into orbit to function AI workloads in space
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Early development linked to a long-term lunar base project
Johnsen described these plans as requiring capital far beyond what the company raises through its semiannual stock offerings.
Record offer under consideration
SpaceX is evaluating an offer that would increase well above 30 billion dollarsBloomberg reported earlier this week. A transaction of that size would surpass all public listings to date.
According to the memo, SpaceX is targeting a $1.5 trillion valuation at the time of offering. If achieved, it would place the company close to the level achieved by Saudi Arabia during its record-breaking 2019 IPO.
The memo notes that both timing and valuation remain uncertain, and SpaceX could still choose not to proceed depending on market conditions.
SpaceX did not publicly comment on the details.
Why investor interest remains high
SpaceX has built two main businesses that dominate their sectors:
Falcon 9 launch schedule: Falcon 9 flies more orbital missions than any other rocket, carrying commercial satellites, Starlink payloads, cargo for NASA and crewed missions. Repeated reuse of Falcon 9 boosters has reduced launch costs and made it the preferred choice for companies around the world.
Starlink Internet Service: The Starlink constellation now includes thousands of satellites and serves millions of customers. The service has become a major revenue generator and has been adopted in residential markets, aviation, maritime operations and remote regions.
These two businesses provide the cash flow and operating foundation that supports SpaceX’s work on Starship, satellite manufacturing and expanded commercial services.
New details shared with investors
SpaceX’s memo included information that had not been part of its previous bidding updates. The company explained that work related to Starship, Starlink production and various long-term infrastructure projects now requires a multi-year financing schedule, which is why shareholders were given a defined IPO year. The update also outlined new internal reporting steps and audit requirements that SpaceX has begun preparing for, measures that are necessary before a private company can enter the public markets. The timeline remains flexible, but the memo shows that SpaceX will align major financial and engineering programs around the same target year.
Also read: Elon Musk’s SpaceX preparing IPO for 2026 that could raise more than $25 billion, source says