Odaily reported that SpaceX is progressing with its IPO and seeking a valuation of approximately $1.78 trillion. If realized, it would become the world's seventh-largest company by market cap. However, the mid-to-long-term business path justifying this valuation remains unclear.
Furthermore, SpaceX's core narrative is shifting. In February of this year, Musk integrated SpaceX with xAI, making artificial intelligence a key component of the company's strategy. Compared to the original core vision of "making humanity a multi-planetary species," AI now occupies a more prominent position in the company's narrative. In the first quarter, xAI-related business reportedly accounted for over three-quarters of capital expenditures, while approximately 93% of the total addressable market mentioned in the IPO filing is also related to AI.
Musk has long been adept at restructuring business narratives to align with market preferences, as seen in previous cases like integrating SolarCity into Tesla and merging Twitter with the xAI ecosystem. SpaceX's new narrative combines rocket launches with AI, envisioning the deployment of AI data centers in orbit to build future computing infrastructure. However, SpaceX launched approximately 2,200 tons of payload into orbit last year, while Musk has suggested that realizing the orbital data center vision would require an annual launch capacity of about 1 million tons. Although Starlink and the rocket business already hold industry-leading positions, genuine cash flow will ultimately be needed to validate this massive valuation hypothesis. (Financial Times)
