It was a 'huge mistake' for me to come on CNBC and talk about SPACs, says Chamath Palihapitiya

Watch on YouTube ↗  |  July 14, 2026 at 12:23  |  7:33  |  CNBC
Speakers
Chamath Palihapitiya — CEO, Social Capital

Summary

Chamath Palihapitiya reflects on his role in the SPAC boom, expressing regret for promoting SPACs on CNBC and social media. He explains his new SPAC structure with better incentive alignment and argues that gatekeeping banks prevent deserving companies from going public, creating a need for alternative capital-raising methods. He advocates for more public listings and transparency.

  • Chamath says promoting SPACs on CNBC was a huge mistake.
  • He defends SPACs for raising tens of billions for companies and serving millions of customers.
  • His new SPAC ties compensation to stock performance over time, aligning with speculators.
  • He sees a gap in US capital markets where banks won't fund critical infrastructure companies.
  • He suggests a model where he posts his own money as a turnkey IPO, reducing reliance on outside capital.
  • He argues more companies should go public earlier for transparency and performance pressure.
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