Key Highlights

  • SpaceX, formally Space Exploration Technologies Corp., completed its initial public offering and saw its market Capitalization surge past USD 2 trillion after its shares jumped roughly 19 percent on their first day of trading.
  • The debut is widely described as one of the largest IPOs in history, following a period where reported target valuations for the offering ranged from roughly USD 1.8 trillion to more than USD 2 trillion.
  • SpaceX's public listing puts fresh attention on which other large, privately held companies, particularly in artificial intelligence, could be next to pursue a public listing.
  • OpenAI and Anthropic are the two most frequently mentioned candidates given their scale and the broader wave of AI-related IPO speculation building through 2026.

How SpaceX Became a USD 2 Trillion Public Company

SpaceX's initial public offering closed with its underwriters exercising their full option to purchase additional shares, and the stock jumped roughly 19 percent on its first trading day, pushing the company's market capitalization above USD 2 trillion. That debut came after a bumpy run-up in which reported target valuations for the deal moved around significantly, at one point reportedly being cut to as low as USD 1.8 trillion before ultimately pricing and trading well above that level once public Demand became clear. The scale of the offering and the size of the first-day pop have made it one of the most closely watched market events of 2026, cementing SpaceX's status as one of the most valuable publicly traded companies in the world almost immediately after its debut.

Why This Matters Beyond SpaceX Itself

A successful trillion-dollar-plus debut for a company that had been private for more than two decades sends a powerful signal to other large private companies that public markets are willing to absorb enormous new share issuances if the underlying growth story is compelling enough. That signal matters enormously for the handful of other mega-valued private companies, most notably in artificial intelligence, that have been the subject of persistent IPO speculation throughout 2026. A strong reception for SpaceX likely emboldens boards and bankers at those companies to move forward with their own listing plans rather than continuing to rely solely on private fundraising rounds.

Who Could Be Next

OpenAI has been the subject of the most persistent IPO chatter, with reported private valuations discussed as high as roughly USD 1.2 trillion following a large employee share sale earlier in 2026, though no formal listing timeline has been confirmed. Anthropic, which has reportedly seen its own private valuation climb toward roughly USD 1 trillion in recent funding rounds, is frequently mentioned in the same breath as a potential future listing candidate given the scale of capital both companies have raised. Neither company has announced a confirmed IPO date, and both remain privately held for now, so any specific timeline should be treated as speculation rather than a confirmed plan.

Where Things Stand

SpaceX is now a genuinely public company worth more than USD 2 trillion after a blockbuster debut, and while no other company has announced a firm date, OpenAI and Anthropic are the names most commonly floated as potential next candidates given their scale and the momentum SpaceX's successful listing has created for large private companies weighing their own public debuts.