SpaceX’s upcoming IPO, valued at a staggering $1.77 trillion, is set to offer 555.6 million shares at a proposed price of $135 each. Thanks to recently updated index inclusion rules from major providers like Nasdaq and FTSE Russell, SpaceX won’t just be available to buy on the open market. It will be essentially mandatory for the index funds that millions of Americans already hold in their 401(k)s and IRAs.
How fast-entry rules changed the game
Nasdaq updated its fast-entry rules in May 2026, and FTSE Russell established a 5-trading-day inclusion standard for significant new IPOs. S&P Dow Jones is reportedly considering similar changes to its own index inclusion rules.
A company like SpaceX can now join the indices that passive funds track within 5 to 15 trading days of its stock market debut. Funds like Vanguard’s VTI (which tracks the total US stock market) and QQQ (which tracks the Nasdaq-100) would be required to purchase SpaceX shares almost immediately after the IPO to stay aligned with their benchmark indices. When those funds buy, every investor who holds shares in those funds, often through retirement accounts, becomes an indirect SpaceX owner.
Roughly 60% of Americans currently own retirement accounts.
