"SpaceX wants to be able to take you to the moon, take you to Mars, and ultimately beyond," Mr Musk said at a launch event in Starbase, Texas.

Surge in SpaceX's share price catapults Musk's wealth to astronomical level - but charity Oxfam calls it “a dark day for global democracy”.

The company offered 555,555,555 stocks at a price of $135 per share