Musk Wants SpaceX in the Nasdaq — And Nasdaq Changed Its Rules to Make It Happen

TLDR

• SpaceX is leaning toward listing on the Nasdaq, potentially as soon as June
• The company wants early entry into the Nasdaq 100 as a condition of choosing the exchange
• SpaceX is targeting a valuation of around $1.75 trillion, which would make it the sixth-largest U.S. company
• The NYSE is also competing for the listing, and no final decision has been made
• Nasdaq proposed a “Fast Entry” rule that could get megacap IPOs into the index in under a month

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SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite company, is considering listing its shares on the Nasdaq stock exchange in what could be one of the largest IPOs in history.

Four people familiar with the company’s thinking told Reuters that SpaceX is leaning toward Nasdaq. The sources spoke anonymously because the talks are confidential.

The company is targeting a valuation of around $1.75 trillion for the IPO. At that level, SpaceX would rank as the sixth-largest publicly traded company in the United States.

SpaceX has told sources that early entry into the Nasdaq 100 index is an important condition for choosing the exchange. The Nasdaq 100 includes some of the world’s biggest tech companies, including Nvidia, Apple, and Amazon.

Normally, newly listed companies must wait up to a year before they can be added to major indexes like the Nasdaq 100 or the S&P 500.

Nasdaq’s Fast Entry Rule

Nasdaq proposed a new rule last month that could speed up index inclusion for large newly listed companies. Under this “Fast Entry” rule, a company could qualify for the Nasdaq 100 in under a month if its market cap ranks among the index’s top 40 members.

The rule is not final and could take several months to take effect. It was designed to attract richly valued private companies like SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

If SpaceX’s $1.75 trillion valuation holds, it would almost certainly qualify for fast-track entry under the proposed rule.

Why Index Inclusion Matters

Being part of the Nasdaq 100 gives companies access to large institutional investors who buy stakes in index funds. That means a bigger shareholder base and better liquidity over time.

For early SpaceX investors and employees, better liquidity could reduce the market impact of large sell orders once lockup periods end. Lockup periods typically last 90 to 180 days after an IPO.

The NYSE is also competing to host the SpaceX listing. Neither exchange has been formally told of a final decision, according to sources.

Reuters previously reported that SpaceX is planning an IPO as early as June. In February, Bloomberg reported that SpaceX was considering a dual listing to allow Musk to maintain control of the company, similar to how he controls Tesla despite holding a minority stake.

The Nasdaq 100 index gained around 21% last year and is slightly lower so far in 2026.

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