The Elon Musk-led SpaceX is reportedly pushing for an expedited entry into major stock indexes, potentially altering the traditional IPO timeline.

Early Index Inclusion Gains Momentum

The company’s advisers have initiated discussions with major index providers, including Nasdaq, to explore the possibility of an early inclusion, reported The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.

Companies generally must wait months to a year after going public before qualifying for major indexes like the S&P 500 or Nasdaq 100, allowing time to prove stability and sufficient liquidity to absorb index-fund buying.

SpaceX is pushing to bypass traditional rules to give shareholders liquidity sooner around its IPO, with advisers lobbying for index policy changes that could speed its inclusion in major indexes and set a precedent for other highly valued private firms.

Meanwhile, Nasdaq is seeking feedback on proposed changes to the Nasdaq 100 methodology, including a possible "fast entry" rule that would allow top-40 companies by market cap to join the index after 15 trading days instead of waiting three months. At current valuations, SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic are eligible for this.

Similar fast-track options already exist at S&P Total Market Index and MSCI and advisers to SpaceX are exploring them to support a strong IPO debut. Notably, the S&P 500 does not have a fast-entry option.

SpaceX–xAI Merger Lifts Valuation Stakes

This development comes on the heels of SpaceX’s recent merger with xAI, which Musk framed as a long-term bet on humanity’s future. The deal reportedly values SpaceX at around $1 trillion and xAI at about $250 billion, with the combined SpaceX–xAI entity expected to price shares at around $527 after the deal.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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