Story perspectives

SpaceX IPO Slides 20% Amid $25B Short Bet

7/16/2026

Summary

Musk IPO

Elon Musk appeared at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City on June 12, 2026 for SpaceX’s initial public offering.
Short sellers have built positions covering about 185 million SpaceX shares, roughly 29% of the publicly tradable float.
The short positions represent approximately $25 billion in bearish wagers, according to S3 Partners.
SpaceX’s stock fell about 20% in July, briefly dropping below the $135 IPO price and last trading around $133 per share.

Summary

SpaceX Gains Investors

Only about 4-5 percent of SpaceX’s stock is currently tradable, creating scarcity-driven price pressure.
SpaceX’s recent inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index obliges index-tracking funds to buy its shares, further supporting the market price.
Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart bought a $1 billion stake in SpaceX shortly after the float, citing shared far-right political views with Musk.
James Murdoch’s private investment firm holds an estimated $7.5 billion of SpaceX shares despite his progressive leanings.

History

Historical Context

Google went public on August 19 2004, selling 19.6 million shares at $85 each and raising $1.67 billion, which gave it a market value above $23 billion. The IPO built on earlier milestones—$100 k seed funding from Andy Bechtolsheim in 1998 and a $25 million venture round in June 1999—that helped the search engine survive the dot-com bust and pioneer text-based online advertising.

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Musk IPO

Elon Musk appeared at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City on June 12, 2026 for SpaceX’s initial public offering.
Short sellers have built positions covering about 185 million SpaceX shares, roughly 29% of the publicly tradable float.
The short positions represent approximately $25 billion in bearish wagers, according to S3 Partners.
SpaceX’s stock fell about 20% in July, briefly dropping below the $135 IPO price and last trading around $133 per share.

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