Elon Musk’s rocket company is officially no longer just the side project.
SpaceX is now being valued at roughly $800 billion following a mid-December insider tender offer, according to Bloomberg, more than doubling its valuation since July. The surge has been so intense that SpaceX employees were recently told the company has entered a “regulatory quiet period,” with staff asked to avoid public commentary around growth, valuation, or a possible IPO next year.
That quiet period alone is doing a lot of talking.
From moonshots to market cap
Founded in 2002, SpaceX has spent two decades stacking industry firsts, including becoming the first private company to send astronauts to the International Space Station and building the world’s most active launch operation. According to Forbes, SpaceX now launches more payload into orbit than the rest of the world combined.
Back in July, insiders were buying and selling shares around a $400 billion valuation. Roughly five months later, that figure has doubled, driven by relentless launch cadence, Starlink’s growing satellite internet footprint, and rising geopolitical demand for secure space infrastructure. The company’s recent launch of a classified National Reconnaissance Office payload from Cape Canaveral only reinforces how embedded SpaceX has become in national security and defense.
Elon’s wealth tilts skyward
The valuation jump has meaningful consequences for Elon Musk’s personal balance sheet. Musk owns about 42 percent of SpaceX, meaning the bulk of his reported $648 billion net worth now comes from rockets and satellites rather than electric cars.
That marks a quiet shift. Tesla $TSLA ( ▼ 4.62% ) , long the cornerstone of Musk’s wealth, just closed at a record high for the first time in nearly a year, but it is no longer the main driver. SpaceX, once framed as Musk’s moonshot passion project, has become the center of gravity.
IPO gravity gets stronger
SpaceX has never publicly confirmed IPO plans, but the signals are getting louder. A regulatory quiet period, insider liquidity events, and a ballooning valuation all point toward serious preparation. A 2026 listing would likely be one of the largest IPOs in market history and would instantly reshape both aerospace and tech indices.
For now, SpaceX is keeping its head down, launching rockets, signing government contracts, and letting the valuation speak for itself.