Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, speaks during the company’s IPO at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City on June 12, 2026.
As SpaceX prepared for its landmark initial public offering on the Nasdaq, a move anticipated to be the largest on record, Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO and widely considered Elon Musk’s second-in-command, addressed the persistent speculation surrounding a potential merger with Tesla, Musk’s other trillion-dollar enterprise.
In an exclusive interview with CNBC’s Morgan Brennan, Shotwell acknowledged the hypothetical possibility of such a combination, noting, “It might make Elon’s life a little easier.” This statement comes at a pivotal moment, with Musk having officially achieved the status of the world’s first trillionaire, largely owing to his substantial stakes in both SpaceX and Tesla. Musk holds significant control over decision-making at SpaceX, possessing over 80% of the voting power, and his influence on Tesla’s board is well-documented.
Shotwell, who joined SpaceX in 2002 as one of its earliest employees and has been instrumental in its operational growth, emphasized her current focus. “There’s a convergence of what we’re all trying to accomplish in the future, but right now I’m focused on keeping the lights on here,” she stated, underscoring the immense operational demands of SpaceX, which debuted with a market capitalization exceeding $2 trillion, placing it as the sixth most valuable U.S. company, surpassing Tesla.
This discussion of potential consolidation is not unprecedented, given Musk’s track record of integrating his ventures. Notably, in February, Musk orchestrated the merger of SpaceX with xAI, his artificial intelligence startup. This deal, which valued the combined entity at an impressive $1.25 trillion, was strategically positioned to accelerate the development of “orbital data centers.” The transaction effectively brought xAI’s advanced data centers, Grok’s AI models, its AI chatbot, and image generation capabilities under the SpaceX umbrella. This move followed Musk’s earlier integration of X, formerly Twitter, into xAI in early 2025, highlighting a clear pattern of synergy-driven consolidation.
The operational and technological overlap between Tesla and SpaceX is already evident, with the companies sharing resources, including engineering talent. Previous reports indicated that Musk had explored the possibility of a full merger between the two entities. Furthermore, Tesla’s investment portfolio includes equity in SpaceX, stemming from its participation in xAI’s funding rounds.
While Shotwell recognized the inherent alignment between the two companies, she reiterated her immediate priorities: advancing rocket development, enhancing global broadband access, and supporting the International Space Station missions. However, she did concede that strategic mergers and acquisitions, particularly within the burgeoning AI landscape, will continue to be a significant factor. SpaceX itself holds an option to acquire the AI-coding startup Cursor for a substantial $60 billion, signaling its forward-looking M&A strategy.
“I think you’ll see more of that just generally,” Shotwell commented, suggesting a broader trend of strategic integration across the technology sector.
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