SpaceX President fuels Tesla merger speculation with Elon Musk remark

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell has fuelled speculation about a potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX, saying such a move could make Elon Musk’s life “a little easier” as he leads multiple companies.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC on Friday, Shotwell suggested the two Musk-led firms share long-term goals and could become more closely aligned in the future, although she stopped short of confirming any merger plans.

“That might make Elon’s life a little easier, actually,” Shotwell said when discussing the possibility of combining Tesla and SpaceX.

Shotwell Highlights Tesla-SpaceX Synergies

Shotwell said there is “no question” that the two companies have overlapping ambitions and complementary technologies.

“There’s synergies between Tesla and SpaceX in our futures, definitely,” she said. “There’s a convergence of what we’re all trying to accomplish in the future.”

However, she stressed that her current focus remains on SpaceX’s operations and expansion plans rather than any potential corporate combination.

“I’m not focused on that part of the future, at least,” she added.

Merger Speculation Gains Momentum

Discussion around a possible Tesla-SpaceX merger has intensified in recent weeks, with investors and analysts pointing to increasing collaboration between Musk’s businesses.

The two companies are already working together on the reported $55 billion Terafab semiconductor project, which aims to develop chips for SpaceX’s AI satellite ambitions as well as Tesla’s robotaxi and humanoid robot programmes.

Tesla has also integrated xAI’s Grok artificial intelligence model into its vehicles and previously invested $2 billion in Musk’s AI venture before xAI merged with SpaceX earlier this year.

Analyst Predicts Future Tie-Up

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives recently predicted that Tesla and SpaceX could merge as early as next year.

He described a combination of the two companies as the “holy grail” for investors, arguing it would strengthen Musk’s position in the rapidly expanding artificial intelligence sector.

SpaceX IPO Raises Stakes

Shotwell’s comments came as SpaceX prepared to begin public trading following a record-breaking $75 billion IPO, valuing the aerospace company at approximately $1.75 trillion.

The listing means Musk now leads two publicly traded companies, with Tesla currently valued at around $1.25 trillion.

Musk, who also leads Neuralink and The Boring Company, has previously faced criticism from some Tesla investors over concerns that his attention is spread across multiple ventures.