Elon Musk gave an inspiring speech at the SpaceX IPO event, sharing his initial doubts about the company’s success but stressing the importance of making life on many planets and creating a happy future for everyone.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX went public on Friday, raising $75 billion in what was the largest IPO in history.
SpaceX’s IPO doubled the previous IPO record and provides the company with capital to help finance what Musk described in a live broadcast of the IPO ahead of the IPO with JPMorgan Chase as a “critical growth phase” as it ramps up shipments of its Starlink communications satellites and looks to build. artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in space.
The IPO is the first of several highly anticipated IPOs expected to take place later this year, with companies at the forefront of the AI boom – ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Anthropic – taking steps to get started.
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SpaceX employees ring the Nasdaq opening bell as the company makes its record IPO debut on June 12, 2026. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
It remains to be seen who will come IPOs will break the new record set by SpaceX, but here’s a look at the other four IPOs that make up the list of the five largest in history:
Saudi Aramco
SpaceX’s IPO doubled Saudi Aramco’s previous IPO record. (Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters)
The Saudi Arabian state-owned oil company went public in December 2019, when the deal first raised $25.6 billion after listing on the Saudi stock market.
That amount grew to about $29.4 billion after that Saudi Aramco and its underwriters used an over-allotment option – also known as a greenshoe option – which allowed Aramco to issue more shares due to high demand from investors.
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Alibaba
Several large IPOs had such strong demand that underwriters offered many shares shortly after launch. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An e-commerce giant based in China Alibaba it went public in September 2014 in a $21.8 billion raise, which ranked as the largest at the time.
As with the Saudi Aramco IPO, high demand prompted Alibaba’s underwriters to exercise an option to issue additional shares that brought the total raised to $25 billion. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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SoftBank
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said in December 2024 his company will invest $100 billion in the US with the goal of creating 100,000 new jobs. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
A communications provider based in Japan SoftBank debuted in December 2018 with a $21.3 billion IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
The company’s parent, SoftBank Group, is the world’s largest technology investor and has made significant investments in US AI companies and chip makers. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said in December 2024 his company will 100 billion investment in the US with the goal of creating 100,000 new jobs.
Agricultural Bank of China
Branch of Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. in Shanghai, China, on Jan. 6, 2026. (Raul Ariano/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The 2010 IPO of Agricultural Bank of China it was the world’s largest at the time, making an initial capital of $20.8 billion — though that figure later grew to $22.1 billion when it floated additional shares on the Hong Kong and Shanghai exchanges in a dual listing.
The company is one of the largest financial institutions in China in terms of assets and clients, serving as the main bank for China’s agricultural enterprises.
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