Elon Musk lands in Seattle the week of the SpaceX IPO

Elon Musk flew from Buchanan Field in Concord, California, to Boeing Field in Seattle on Thursday afternoon, a 1-hour 25-minute hop aboard his Gulfstream G550, N272BG. The flight touches down just one day before SpaceX is scheduled to list on public markets in what could be the largest IPO in history.

The timing is no coincidence. SpaceX plans to raise as much as $75 billion by selling shares at $135 apiece, per a DW report this week, with proceeds earmarked for AI data centers in space and Mars missions. Musk, who retains roughly 82% of voting power through a dual-class structure, has folded his AI company xAI into SpaceX and is betting the listing will cement his status as the world's first trillionaire.

The trip continues a busy week of movement: Musk flew from Seattle to Los Angeles on Wednesday, then back to the Bay Area, before returning to the Pacific Northwest. His home base remains a modest SpaceX-rented house near Starbase, Texas, but the IPO has pulled him north for the final pitch to investors and the opening bell.