Elon Musk said Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) could eventually become worth far more than today’s global economy, extending his argument that Starship can unlock industries that barely exist today.
Musk Sees SpaceX Beyond Earth’s Economy
"This will sound super crazy, but I see a path to SpaceX being worth orders of magnitude more than the current Earth economy," Musk wrote on X Thursday.
The scale of Musk’s claim dwarfs even that listing. World Bank data put annual global output above $100 trillion, while SpaceX’s IPO filing identifies asteroid mining, in-orbit manufacturing, energy production on the Moon and Mars, and passenger and cargo transport to Mars as "future markets" that largely do not exist today.
Starship Could Unlock Entirely New Industries
Starship sits at the center of that expansion. SpaceX says Starship V3 is expected to carry 100 metric tons to orbit, with future versions potentially reaching 200 metric tons. A recent look at Starship’s first orbital flight highlighted that commercial economics still depend heavily on rapid upper-stage reuse.
Asteroid resources show both the opportunity and uncertainty. NASA says Psyche, a metal-rich asteroid roughly 173 miles wide, likely contains metal across 30% to 60% of its volume. NASA’s spacecraft will study, not mine, the object when it arrives in 2029, highlighting how far resource extraction remains from commercial reality.
Musk Predicts AI-Led Economic Expansion
Musk’s latest valuation vision also fits his broader economic forecasts. He has predicted the global economy could grow tenfold within 10 years as AI and robotics drive a post-scarcity "intelligence age." Saudi Arabia’s state news agency previously quoted him saying humanoid robots could expand global output tenfold and create an economy of abundance.
In September, Musk said AI could roughly double U.S. GDP growth next year from about 2% to 4%, "maybe even more." He has also argued that future economics may ultimately be measured less in dollars than in mass and energy, with Moon and Mars industry forming part of that long-term vision.
Price Action: SPCX shares were up 4.15% to $167.23 during pre-market trading on Friday.
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