People familiar with the conversations say SpaceX plans to spread responsibility for its initial public offering across a larger syndicate of banks rather than concentrate duties with a single lead underwriter. The arrangement under discussion would separate allocation to large institutional investors from sales efforts aimed at individual investors.
How the split would work
Under the configuration described by those familiar with the matter, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs would be tasked with allotting shares to institutional clients, while Bank of America and Citi would manage distribution to retail investors. JPMorgan Chase has been engaged to serve as an adviser on the IPO, according to the same people.
Scale and investor reach
The proposed setup aligns with the expected magnitude of the planned offering. Executives are reportedly preparing for a sale that could raise tens of billions of dollars, putting it well above the typical size of most IPOs. To reach that level of capital, SpaceX intends to target large mutual funds and asset managers in addition to high-net-worth individuals.
The company is also weighing a broad retail reach. In the plan discussed, Bank of America would focus on retail investors located in the United States, while Citi would organize a network of international banks to sell shares to individual investors in overseas markets.
International distribution partners
SpaceX has lined up a group of regional and global banks to assist with selling shares to investors in their home territories. Those banks include Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Mizuho, Royal Bank of Canada and UBS. Their roles would be centered on accessing retail and institutional demand across multiple geographies.
Context on investor composition
The company’s stated approach reflects an intention to mix large institutional allocations with broad retail participation, including wealthy individual shareholders. Observers note that SpaceX’s planned investor base would resemble the mix present at other large public companies with significant individual investor ownership.
Note: Details above are based on accounts from people familiar with SpaceX’s IPO deliberations. The discussions remain in progress and subject to change.