Elon Musk, here at his appearance at the WEF, has new plans.Image: keystone
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has merged the space company SpaceX and its AI developer xAI.
02/03/2026, 04:1302/03/2026, 04:13
Together, the companies will, among other things, build data centers in space, as Musk announced. He estimates that in two to three years this will be the cheapest way to generate computing power for artificial intelligence, he wrote in a blog entry.
Initially, the deal will allow Musk to supply xAI with billions from SpaceX’s coffers. The AI company has a high level of capital wear and tear. SpaceX and most recently the electric car manufacturer Tesla, which is also run by Musk, have already invested two billion dollars each in xAI in financing rounds.
SpaceX and xAI are both unlisted companies, which makes a merger easier. According to the financial service Bloomberg, a potential merger with Tesla was also discussed at SpaceX.
The SpaceX Starship rocket, which can bring larger loads into orbit, could play a key role in building data centers in space. Musk spoke of “a million tons of satellites every year”.
xAI is developing the chatbot Grok, which Musk sent into the race with, among other things, ChatGPT from competitor OpenAI. Grok is currently being criticized because the software could be used to depict women in bikinis or lingerie. After authorities took action, xAI restricted the ability to do so. The online platform X, into which Musk converted the Twitter he bought, was also brought into xAI.
SpaceX has played a key role in the US space program for years. According to previous information, Musk holds a stake of around 40 percent in the company. According to media reports, SpaceX is considering an IPO that could value the company at up to $1.5 trillion. (sda/dpa)