One investor said that when SpaceX was privately held, he used a connection with a cousin of the billionaire entrepreneur to buy $10 million worth of stock in the satellite maker in 2018. A portfolio manager at a $500 billion U.S. fund said he had to use his relationship with a board member of the Musk-led Tesla for an allocation of SpaceX shares in 2023.

Elon Musk’s rocket and AI company presents potential for investors. But its futuristic, unproven plans also carry significant financial risks.

In the old days, companies went public early to access cash to grow. These days, soon-to-be-public companies are already flush with cash from private finance.