Tesla and SpaceX merger: a Cybertruck and a launching Starship under the Tesla and SpaceX logos

Tesla SpaceX Merger: Odds, Timeline and What It Would Mean for TSLA and SPCX

Share

The Short Answer
No deal exists yet. As of October 26, 2026, there is no merger agreement and no terms, but both companies have formed special committees to study one, Musk said on October 20.

Musk says both companies have now formed special committees to study it, prediction market traders put the odds at 12.5% by the end of 2026 and 65.0% by the end of 2027, and SpaceX is now worth about 1.36 times Tesla. Here is what is confirmed, what is speculation, and what a deal would mean for TSLA and SPCX shares.

A Tesla SpaceX merger would put Elon Musk’s two biggest companies into one stock worth about $3.47 trillion at the October 23, 2026 close. The idea got loud in 2026: SpaceX went public in June, it has already used its own shares to absorb xAI and buy Cursor, Tesla now owns SpaceX stock, Musk twice declined to rule a combination out, and on October 20 he said both companies had formed special committees to study one. This guide tracks what has actually happened, puts real numbers on what a deal could look like for TSLA and SPCX holders, and explains why it may never happen. We update it every week as prices, odds and filings change.

Is Tesla Merging With SpaceX?

Not yet, but it is now being studied. On SpaceX’s October 20 earnings call, Musk said both companies have formed special committees of independent directors to discuss the idea (Fortune). There is still no merger agreement, no S-4 registration and no announced terms in either company’s SEC filings as of October 26, 2026. What exists is a run of hints from Musk, a set of deepening business ties, and a market that is betting on a deal in 2027.

📄  Deal status
ConfirmedNo merger agreement or term sheet in either company’s filings. Musk says both boards have formed special committees to study a deal (October 20)
Not confirmedAny terms, or when the committees will finish
🗣️  Musk’s view
ConfirmedHe said combining the companies would need “the appropriate process” (July 22), that “who can imagine what action one might take” (September 14), and that “there’s a lot of merit to combining the companies” (October 20)
Not confirmedThat a deal will happen: he said treating it as a certainty “would be overstating it”
📊  Tesla’s stake in SpaceX
ConfirmedAbout 19.0 million SpaceX Class A shares, under 1% of SpaceX, from its $2 billion xAI investment
Not confirmedAny plan to add to it
⏳  Timing
ConfirmedPrediction markets price about 12.5% odds of an announcement by the end of 2026
Not confirmedAny date from either company
// Why this matters

A merger of two companies with the same CEO and controlling shareholder is a related-party deal. That means the process (independent committees, fairness opinions, a vote by Tesla’s outside shareholders) matters as much as the price, which is why Musk keeps pointing to “process”, and why he says he is kept out of the special committees’ talks.

Every Tesla SpaceX Merger Hint So Far

The talk did not start with one headline. It built up over a year of investments, acquisitions and comments. Here is the record, with the source for each step.

TeslaSpaceXMuskTesla + SpaceX
2025
🗳️
Nov 6, 2025Tesla
Tesla shareholders vote on whether Tesla should invest in xAI: 1.06 billion shares for, 916 million against and 473 million abstaining. Tesla’s bylaws count abstentions as votes against, so the advisory proposal was not approved (Tesla 8-K).
💬
Nov 10, 2025Musk
Musk posts on X: “My companies are, surprisingly in some ways, trending towards convergence.” (post)
2026
💵
Jan 16, 2026Tesla
Tesla agrees to invest about $2 billion in xAI’s Series E preferred stock “on market terms” (Tesla Q4 2025 update).
🤝
Feb 2, 2026SpaceX
SpaceX acquires xAI, which already owned X, paying mostly in SpaceX stock (SpaceX prospectus).
🔄
Mar 12, 2026Tesla + SpaceX
Tesla’s xAI investment converts into SpaceX Class A stock. Tesla now owns part of SpaceX (SpaceX prospectus).
🚀
Jun 12, 2026SpaceX
SpaceX starts trading on Nasdaq as SPCX after pricing its IPO at $135 a share. It closes its first day at $160.95.
💻
Jun 16, 2026SpaceX
SpaceX agrees to buy Cursor, the AI coding company, in stock at an implied value of $60 billion (SpaceX 8-K).
🎙️
Jul 22, 2026Musk
On Tesla’s earnings call, Musk says: “We can’t talk about, you know, combining companies and that kind of thing on an earnings call. It’s got to be done with the appropriate process.” (Reuters via Investing.com)
✅
Aug 14, 2026SpaceX
The Cursor deal closes. SpaceX issues 389.3 million new Class A shares to pay for it (SpaceX 8-K).
🎤
Sep 14, 2026Musk
Asked at the All-In Summit why the companies are still separate, Musk calls it a great question and points to how much they already work together. Yahoo Finance quotes him: “who can imagine what action one might take” (Yahoo Finance).
🏛️
Oct 20, 2026Musk
On SpaceX’s third quarter earnings call, Musk says both companies have formed special committees of independent directors to discuss a combination, at the request of shareholders, and that he is kept out of them: “Because I’m a conflicted party, I can’t actually be in the discussions of the special committees.” He says “there’s a lot of merit to combining the companies”, but that assuming a merger is a certainty “would be overstating it”. No terms have been agreed (Fortune). The same evening SpaceX reports third quarter revenue of $14.58 billion, up 161% from a year earlier (Teslarati).
📰
Oct 21, 2026Tesla + SpaceX
Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter, that the companies aim to announce a deal in the first half of 2027 and to close it before President Trump’s term ends in January 2029. The committees have not agreed on terms, and neither company has confirmed the timeline (Euronews). On Tesla’s earnings call the same day, Musk says the two still have to work out costs on their shared chip plant: “We’ve got to figure out what the relative split is between SpaceX and Tesla in terms of who pays for what at Terafab.” (Yahoo Finance).

// Until there’s a filing

Until either company files, this story runs on hints and odds. Our alerts run on levels: trades on names like Tesla and SpaceX, each with the entry, targets and risk marked on the chart. Get them free, just enter your email.

Free, no card needed. Educational content, not financial advice. Unsubscribe anytime.

Why the Merger Talk Keeps Growing

Three things keep the idea alive, and all of them are on the record.

The companies already work together

Tesla and SpaceX share more than a CEO. SpaceX’s prospectus describes a collaboration with Tesla on Terafab, a chip-making project announced in March 2026, and on Macrohard, an AI agent platform, while noting that the financial terms of both are not final. Tesla is building its own research chip fab on its Gigafactory Texas campus as part of that effort. Grok, the AI model from xAI (now part of SpaceX), has run in Tesla cars since July 2025. And the companies trade with each other: Tesla booked $405 million of Megapack battery revenue from SpaceX in the first half of 2026 (Tesla 10-Q).

Tesla already owns a piece of SpaceX

Tesla’s $2 billion xAI investment became about 19.0 million SpaceX shares when SpaceX bought xAI. That stake was worth about $2.80 billion at SPCX’s October 23, 2026 close, and Tesla recorded a $1.00 billion gain on it in the second quarter alone (Tesla 10-Q). It is under 1% of SpaceX, so it is a toe in the water, not a takeover.

SpaceX pays for deals with its own stock

SpaceX has now done two big acquisitions with shares rather than cash: xAI in February and Cursor in August. A public stock with a deep market is the currency a company needs to buy something the size of Tesla, and SpaceX has shown it is willing to use it.

What the Prediction Markets Say

Real-money prediction markets let traders bet on whether a deal will be announced. On Polymarket, the odds of an official announcement by the end of 2026 have fallen from around 40% in June to 12.5%, while the odds of one by the end of 2027 sit at 65.0%. When we first checked on October 4, Kalshi, which only pays out on a signed, binding agreement, priced about 10% to 15% before 2027 and about 62% before 2028.

Polymarket odds of an official Tesla and SpaceX merger announcement, read October 26, 2026: 12.5% by the end of 2026 and 65.0% by the end of 2027, with Musk's July 22 and September 14 comments marked.
Polymarket odds of an announced deal, by deadline. Click to enlarge.

Two caveats. The 2027 market is thin, with only about $71,000 traded, so a few bets can move it. And Polymarket counts an announcement, not a completed deal: a merger can be announced and still fail a shareholder vote.

How Big Would a Combined Tesla and SpaceX Be?

Bigger than most people assume, because SpaceX is the larger of the two. At the October 23, 2026 close, Tesla was worth about $1.47 trillion (3.95 billion shares at $372.22). SpaceX was worth about $2.00 trillion, or 1.36 times Tesla.

Market value at the October 23, 2026 close: SpaceX $2.00 trillion counting all 13.57 billion shares, Tesla $1.47 trillion, and SpaceX counting only Class A shares $1.19 trillion.
Market value, counting every share. Click to enlarge.

You will often see SpaceX quoted at about $1.2 trillion instead. That figure counts only the Class A shares that trade as SPCX. SpaceX also has about 5.49 billion Class B shares, which carry 10 votes each and are mostly Musk’s. A company’s market value counts every share, which is why we use the full count from SpaceX’s latest 10-Q plus the shares it issued for Cursor.

What Would Happen to Your TSLA and SPCX Shares?

In an all-stock merger, one company issues new shares to the other company’s shareholders at a fixed exchange ratio, and the old shares stop trading. Nothing about this deal is known, so the numbers below are hypothetical: they show the math, not a forecast.

Hypothetical all-stock merger at October 23, 2026 prices: SpaceX holders would own 57.7% and Tesla holders 42.3% with no premium; 52.1% and 47.9% if SpaceX paid a 25% premium for Tesla; 63.0% and 37.0% if Tesla paid a 25% premium for SpaceX.
Who would own a combined company, three hypothetical cases. Click to enlarge.

At today’s prices, SpaceX shareholders would own about 58% of a combined company and Tesla shareholders about 42%. A buyer usually pays a premium, so the split would move toward whichever side is being bought. For a single shareholder, the question is how many new shares each old one becomes:

If you own 100 TSLA shares, no premium
252.4 SPCX
worth about $37,222 at 10/23 prices
With a 25% premium for Tesla holders
315.5 SPCX
worth about $46,528 at 10/23 prices

Analysts do not agree on the right split. Morningstar’s analysts, using their own fair value estimates rather than market prices, arrived at roughly two thirds Tesla and one third SpaceX, the opposite of today’s market values, and wrote that they expect Tesla shareholders “may agree to 50%-66% of the combined company” (Morningstar). That gap between the market’s view and the analysts’ view is the hardest part of any real negotiation.

// The control question

Musk holds about 82% of SpaceX’s voting power through its Class B shares (SpaceX prospectus), but only about 20% of Tesla (his June 2026 13G/A). SpaceX’s side of a deal would not be in doubt. Tesla’s outside shareholders would decide whether it happens. Our live Elon Musk net worth tracker values both of his stakes from his SEC filings.

How a Tesla SpaceX Merger Would Actually Get Done

Both companies are Texas corporations (Tesla since June 2024, SpaceX since February 2024), so a deal would run through Texas law and Nasdaq’s rules. In broad strokes:

1
Independent committees
Each board forms a committee of directors with no stake in the other company to negotiate. Musk said on October 20 that both boards have now done this.
Why it matters here: Texas’s 2025 law (SB 29) lets a company ask a court to confirm the committee is independent.
2
Advisers and fairness opinions
Banks value both companies and say whether the exchange ratio is fair.
Why it matters here: Valuing SpaceX is contested: market and analyst views differ by a wide margin.
3
Merger agreement
The signed deal sets the exchange ratio and conditions, and it is filed with the SEC.
Why it matters here: This is the point Kalshi and most traders treat as “it is happening”.
4
Shareholder votes
Texas law’s default is two thirds of outstanding shares (TBOC 21.457), and Nasdaq requires a vote for large share issues.
Why it matters here: Musk controls SpaceX’s vote; Tesla’s other holders decide Tesla’s. Musk said on October 20 that Tesla’s side would need a majority of all its shares, not just those voted, which he called “quite a high hurdle”.
5
Regulatory review
Antitrust filings, plus reviews tied to government contracts and foreign approvals.
Why it matters here: SpaceX earns significant revenue from U.S. government contracts.

There is a precedent. In 2016 Tesla bought SolarCity, a company Musk chaired, for about $2.6 billion in Tesla stock at 0.110 Tesla shares per SolarCity share. There was no special committee; Musk and another director stepped aside from the board vote, and 85.1% of the votes from shareholders not tied to the deal approved it. Shareholders sued, and Delaware’s courts ruled in 2022 and 2023 that the deal was entirely fair, while calling special committees “often a best practice” (McGuireWoods summary). Tesla and SpaceX are each worth hundreds of times what SolarCity was.

Why It Might Not Happen

🗳️
Tesla’s shareholders may not want it
The xAI vote in November 2025 showed how divided they can be on deals that tie Tesla to Musk’s other companies. A merger would need far more than an advisory majority.
⚖️
The valuation gap is huge
On market prices SpaceX holders would get most of the company; on Morningstar’s estimates Tesla holders would. Bridging that requires one side to accept less than it thinks it is worth.
🏛️
Regulators and politics
SpaceX is a major U.S. government contractor, while Tesla has a large business in China. Analysts at JPMorgan flagged both national security review and Chinese approvals as hurdles in July.
🔗
Musk does not need a merger to collaborate
The companies already share projects and buy from each other, Tesla already holds SpaceX stock, and the joint projects run under framework agreements. Every one of those ties works without a merger.

How Traders Are Watching the Merger Story

Neither stock has followed the merger talk in a straight line. Since SpaceX’s first close on June 12, SPCX is down 8.4% and TSLA is down 8.4%.

TSLA and SPCX daily closes from June 12 to October 23, 2026, both set to 100 at the June 12 close: SPCX down 8.4% and TSLA down 8.4%, with Musk's July 22 and September 14 comments marked.
TSLA and SPCX since SpaceX listed, with the two merger comments marked. Click to enlarge.

Headlines like these can also lift implied volatility, which makes options more expensive right when traders want them most. If you trade around this story, our guide to trading SPCX options covers defined-risk ways to do it, and the SpaceX lockup schedule tracks the share unlocks that add supply to SPCX through 2027, including Musk’s own shares on June 12, 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Tesla and SpaceX going to merge?

No merger has been announced. As of October 26, 2026, there is no merger agreement, terms in either company’s filings, though Musk said on October 20 that both companies have formed special committees to study a combination. Prediction markets put the odds of an announcement at about 12.5% by the end of 2026 and about 65.0% by the end of 2027.

What happens to my Tesla stock if Tesla merges with SpaceX?

In an all-stock deal, your TSLA shares would be exchanged for shares of the combined company at a fixed ratio. At October 23, 2026 prices with no premium, 100 TSLA shares would be worth about 252 SPCX shares. The real ratio would be negotiated and could include a premium in either direction.

Does Tesla own part of SpaceX?

Yes, a small part. Tesla’s $2 billion investment in xAI turned into about 19.0 million SpaceX Class A shares when SpaceX acquired xAI, under 1% of SpaceX. Tesla carried it at $3.0 billion at the end of June.

Is SpaceX bigger than Tesla?

Yes, by market value. At the October 23, 2026 close, SpaceX was worth about $2.00 trillion counting all its shares, against about $1.47 trillion for Tesla. Figures of about $1.2 trillion count only SpaceX’s Class A shares.

Would Musk have to sell shares in a merger?

No. In an all-stock merger, shares are exchanged, not sold. Musk’s SpaceX shares are also under a lockup until June 12, 2027.

When could a Tesla SpaceX merger happen?

Nobody has named a date. Even after an announcement, a deal this size would need committee reviews, fairness opinions, an SEC registration, shareholder votes and regulatory approvals, which usually takes months.

Disclaimer: Pure Power Picks is not a licensed financial advisor. All content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. No Tesla and SpaceX merger has been announced; the deal scenarios on this page are hypothetical illustrations, not predictions. Market values use closing prices and share counts from company filings as of the dates shown and will change. Options trading involves substantial risk of loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Share


Written By

Pure Power Picks

PPP Team

Stock and Options Research and Education

The PPP Team is the research and editorial team behind Pure Power Picks. We trade stocks and options and publish the work as we do it, with every alert tracked in public. Publishing since 2020. How we research and correct our work is written out in our editorial standards. Our content is strictly educational, never advice.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *