Tesla and SpaceX discuss merger

Musk spoke during SpaceX’s third-quarter 2026 earnings presentation on October 20. He said the companies formed the committees at shareholders’ request. They consist of independent board members.

Musk is not participating in the discussions because of a conflict of interest.

“At this point the special committees have not reached agreement on the terms of any transaction, and obviously there’s no guarantee that they will,” he said.

Musk supported the idea but cautioned against assuming a merger was certain. The committees must first agree on a proposal before putting it to a shareholder vote.

According to Musk, Tesla would need support from holders of 50% of all shares. This includes all company shares, rather than only those represented in the vote. He described that threshold as a high hurdle.

“Do I think it would be a good idea? Yes. But at the end of the day the shareholders have to be supportive of this,” he said.

Musk cited cooperation on artificial superintelligence, chip design and robotics as potential benefits. He also mentioned the Terafab project, transporting cargo into orbit and satellite connectivity.

Musk did not disclose a timeline or terms for a potential merger.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Tesla had unveiled its redesigned Roadster electric sports car. The vehicle features SpaceX cold-gas thrusters and a suction system designed to enable extraordinary driving maneuvers.