SpaceX Reportedly Considering Merger with Tesla Ahead of IPO

Elon Musk is reportedly considering merging Tesla and SpaceX as his space company prepares for a stock market listing. The speculation has intensified as Tesla and SpaceX increasingly share resources. This collaboration is particularly evident in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). SpaceX is expected to begin trading on Nasdaq within approximately two weeks. Previously, the company had a private market valuation of around $1.25 trillion. At an exchange rate of Rp 17,812 per US dollar, this equates to approximately Rp 22.265 trillion. Meanwhile, Tesla’s current market capitalisation is around $1.6 trillion, equivalent to approximately Rp 28.499 trillion. If the merger proceeds, Musk could potentially control two of the ten most valuable companies in the United States. Multiple sources aware of the discussions say Musk has spoken about the possibility of merging Tesla and SpaceX with several colleagues. A Tesla employee stated that many workers at the electric vehicle company have long anticipated such a transaction eventually occurring. The topic is reportedly frequently discussed openly within the company. Another source close to Tesla said power and computing constraints have led the two companies to collaborate more frequently. Tesla requires advanced AI systems for autonomous vehicles, robots, and digital services. SpaceX needs substantial computing power for satellites, rockets, Starlink, and AI projects via xAI. More than three-quarters of SpaceX’s $10.1 billion first-quarter capital expenditure is reportedly linked to AI. This equates to approximately Rp 179.9 trillion. Tesla also stated that its capital expenditure will triple this year, expected to exceed $25 billion or around Rp 445.3 trillion. Tomasz Tunguz, a former engineer now a venture capitalist at Theory Ventures, said both Tesla and SpaceX must tackle difficult technical challenges. ‘Tesla must run sophisticated AI systems in moving vehicles under strict constraints on power, cooling, latency, reliability, and cost,’ Tunguz said. ‘SpaceX must consider computing in orbit, where radiation, thermal cycles, launch mass, power generation, and heat dissipation are all critical design constraints,’ he added.