Trump bought SpaceX shares two weeks after blockbuster IPO
President Donald Trump bought as much as $50,000 in SpaceX shares on June 23, roughly two weeks after Elon Musk's record-setting IPO, according to a financial disclosure first reported by Reuters. Trump bought spacex shares while the stock traded in the mid-$150 range, but SpaceX closed Monday back at its $135 IPO price—possibly leaving his stake underwater.
Key Takeaways
- Trump disclosed purchasing up to $50,000 in SpaceX stock on June 23, about two weeks after the company's blockbuster IPO.
- Shares were trading in the mid-$150 range on the purchase date, down from highs above $200.
- SpaceX closed Monday at $135, matching its IPO price and potentially putting the president's stake underwater.
- The White House says Trump's portfolio is managed by third parties tracking indexes like the Schwab 1000.
- SpaceX has gained government contracts and benefited from the administration's deregulatory stance, per a Wall Street Journal analysis.
The purchase lands at a sensitive intersection of politics, private space ambition, and public markets. SpaceX's IPO was among the most closely watched debuts in years, and Trump's entry into the shareholder base adds a new layer of scrutiny to a company already tied to federal spending and regulation.
For readers tracking how technology, capital, and policy collide, this story sits squarely in our Future Tech & AI Wonders coverage area—where blockbuster IPOs and government power often share the same headline.
What did Trump's financial disclosure reveal about SpaceX?
According to TechCrunch, citing Reuters, President Trump bought as much as $50,000 worth of SpaceX shares on June 23. That timing placed the purchase roughly two weeks after Musk's company completed its record-setting public debut.
It is not clear exactly what price Trump paid. By June 23, however, SpaceX shares had already retreated from post-IPO highs above $200 and were changing hands in the mid-$150 range.
Why does the timing of Trump's SpaceX purchase matter?
SpaceX has been securing an increasing share of government contracts, according to a recent Wall Street Journal analysis. The company has also benefited from the Trump administration's broader deregulatory stance—raising questions about how a presidential stake in a major defense and space contractor might be viewed.
Trump and Musk remain close allies despite a brief falling out last summer, when Musk accused the president of withholding Department of Justice files on Jeffrey Epstein because of how often Trump's name appears in them.
How could Trump's SpaceX stake be underwater today?
Market movement tells much of the story. Trump bought when shares traded around the mid-$150s. At the end of trading on Monday, August 24, SpaceX closed back at its IPO price of $135.
If the president's cost basis sits near those mid-$150 levels, the recent slide could mean his position is now worth less than he paid—at least on paper.
What did the White House say about the purchase?
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Reuters that the president's stock portfolio is managed by third-party financial institutions. Those managers replicate "recognized indexes, such as the Schwab 1000," Ingle said.
SpaceX had lobbied popular indexes to change their rules for faster inclusion ahead of its IPO. That means many investors may hold SpaceX stock indirectly through index funds—even if they never bought shares themselves.