The valuation of the space company SpaceX, founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk, has reached a staggering $180 billion. The impressive figures were reported by the American financial publication CNBC after the end of the last session of secondary sale of shares.
According to its own source, the company is considering a deal with investors for the secondary sale of shares owned by insiders at a price of $97 each. The deal does not include raising new capital, as it is only an internal exchange of existing shares. The deal is expected to be completed in January next year.
This is not the first secondary round of share sales for SpaceX, which usually organizes such events about twice a year, giving its employees and other shareholders the opportunity to exchange their securities. The company’s latest valuation is impressive, showing a 20% increase over the previous record of $150 billion, which was set in July this year, when the share price was $81.
SpaceX is ahead of all competitors
SpaceX is now a near-monopolist in the United States satellite launch market thanks to the success of its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. This is compounded by an exciting battle for contracts and intense competition for private space. The satellite internet business, Starlink, is a key factor in their economy, with more than 5,000 satellites currently in operation and the service having more than two million active users. Additionally, their huge Starship spacecraft continues test flights, representing a huge step towards creating a next-generation reusable rocket of unprecedented scale and power. If the tests are successful, the Starship will be used in Artemis missions to return humans to the lunar surface.
SpaceX ranks among the most expensive private companies in the world, classified as a hectocorn — a unicorn whose value has grown 100 times and reached $1 billion. According to SpaceX’s latest valuation, its market value exceeds the capitalization of any of the leading American defense manufacturers, such as Boeing ($150 billion), Lockheed Martin ($150 billion), and Northrop Grumman ($73 billion). SpaceX is also ahead of the most valuable US telecommunications companies, such as Verizon ($154 billion) and AT&T ($115.9 billion), according to FactSet.
