SpaceX’s $80 billion IPO has a catch: 78% of the money is already spoken for

"At first glance, it appeared that the huge take from the IPO would comfortably fund those requirements for at least a couple of years. Not so as it turns out. As David Trainer of research firm New Constructs notes, the S-1 reveals that $62.8 billion or 78% of the forecasted $80 billion is already spoken for by insiders and vendors. Specifically, SpaceX pledges to pay that more than three quarters of the proceeds to third-parties, Valor Equity Partners (a large shareholder), Musk X Corp. and xAI investors for repayment of debt, and Echostar for “the Spectrum Acquisition Closing.” "That leaves less than $18 billion to fuel the AI express." "As a result, SpaceX will need to look elsewhere for cash. The S-1 states that it will fund expansion by floating new, post-IPO shares and raising debt. That’s a drag for shareholders. The need for fresh, outside funding will dilute the investors buying at the debut, and raise interest costs, curbing profitability." https://fortune.com/2026/05/28/spacex-elon-musk-ipo-money/