Elon Musk responded to reports of SpaceX planning to go public: "Accurate and true."

Elon Musk hinted in a social media interaction with Eric Berger, a space industry journalist from Ars Technica, on Wednesday that SpaceX may go public for the first time (IPO). Responding to the latest reports that SpaceX is planning to go public in 2026, Berger posted on X, "This is why I think SpaceX will go public soon," and attached his article on SpaceX's IPO plans published on Ars Technica. Musk responded, "Exactly." In the article, Berger discussed why now is the right time for Musk's space company to go public, pointing out the rise of artificial intelligence and the opportunities in space data centers playing a significant role in this move. Several news outlets have reported that SpaceX plans to go public in 2026, with the new stock offering valuing the company at around $800 billion and aiming to raise over $30 billion in funds. Last weekend, Musk stated that reports of the company's $800 billion valuation were "inaccurate" and talked about the amount his company receives from NASA. Musk wrote, "While I love NASA very much, next year, they will account for less than 5% of our total revenue. Commercial Starlink is our biggest revenue source. Some claim SpaceX is 'subsidized' by NASA, which is completely untrue." Reports citing sources familiar with the matter indicated that the company is aiming for a valuation of around $1.5 trillion. If SpaceX sells 5% of the shares as planned, the fundraising scale will reach about $40 billion, far exceeding the record for the world's largest IPO set by Saudi Aramco. In 2019, Saudi Aramco raised $29 billion, becoming the largest IPO to date. It is worth noting that Saudi Aramco only sold about 1.5% of the shares at the time, much lower than the average public company's float ratio. SpaceX expects revenue of about $15 billion in 2025, increasing to $22-24 billion in 2026, with most of the revenue coming from the Starlink satellite business. The company is accelerating its IPO partly due to the strong growth of the Starlink satellite internet service, including the prospects for direct mobile connections and the development progress of the Starship rocket for lunar and Mars missions. Previously, Ark Invest, under Cathie Wood, predicted that by 2030, the enterprise value of Elon Musk's SpaceX would reach around $2.5 trillion. According to ARK's open-source model, this valuation is derived from Monte Carlo simulations that consider 17 key variables reflecting SpaceX's potential development over the next twenty years. The model provides three possible valuation scenarios: a baseline scenario of $2.5 trillion, a pessimistic scenario of $1.7 trillion, and an optimistic scenario of $3.1 trillion. These forecasts show differences resulting from strategic initiatives, such as satellite development and deployment, as well as the ultimate emphasis on Mars colonization. Looking ahead to 2026, Musk appears to have a strong ally in the U.S. government's space plans. Jared Isaacman has spent millions of dollars leading two private space flights by SpaceX in 2021 and 2024, and is likely to become the next NASA administrator, having passed the committee's vote on Monday. Next, he will submit to the full Senate for confirmation. SpaceX is a major contractor for NASA, but acting administrator Sean Duffy criticized Musk's space operations for falling behind in the Artemis lunar program, which has been delayed multiple times. Musk fiercely criticized Duffy, accusing him of "trying to kill NASA!" This summer, after a conflict with Musk, President Trump withdrew Isaacman's nomination and handed the leadership of the space program to Transportation Secretary Duffy. At the time, Trump stated that there were conflicts of interest between Isaacman and Musk. Isaacman's re-nomination in early November indicates a reconciliation between Trump and Musk, and Musk later attended a White House dinner, cementing the restoration of their friendship.