Biggest IPOs in History: SpaceX Dethrones Saudi Aramco

The recent listing of the American company SpaceX on the stock exchange has rewritten the "record book" of initial public offerings (IPOs) carried out in the world over time. The company founded by Elon Musk raised about $75 billion at the time of its debut on the stock exchange, on June 12, 2026, making the offering by far the largest IPO ever. The previous record holder, Saudi Aramco, raised $25.6 billion in its IPO in 2019.

Visualcapitalist.com compiled a list of the largest IPOs in history using corporate information and news reports showing gross proceeds raised before fees and expenses.

• SpaceX - the absolute leader

SpaceX went public on June 12, 2026, at a price of $135 per share. The space exploration company, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, raised $75 billion in gross proceeds from its IPO, which puts it at the top of the list. The company is currently valued at $2 trillion.

Fewer than 20 publicly traded companies have ever reached a market capitalization of $1 trillion, with Apple, Nvidia, Saudi Aramco and TSMC being the most notable. Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla surpassed the $1 trillion mark in October 2021.

• Countries with the largest IPOs

The largest IPOs came from a diverse mix of markets. Saudi Arabia held the previous record with Aramco ($25.6 billion), while China contributed some of the largest public offerings with Alibaba (in 2014; $21.8 billion), ICBC (in 2006; $19.1 billion), and Agricultural Bank of China (in 2010; $19.2 billion).

Japan is also a major presence, with SoftBank (in 2018; $21.3 billion) and NTT DoCoMo (in 1998; $18.4 billion), while the US features in the rankings with Visa (in 2008; $17.9 billion) and Meta (in 2012; $16 billion). The companies mentioned cover the fields of energy, finance, communications and technology, highlighting how successful IPOs have emerged in several sectors and regions.

• 2026: the year of massive IPOs?

According to recent developments, 2026 is the year in which SpaceX breaks all records in the field of IPOs. The company is also likely to be included in the Nasdaq-100 stock index shortly after its debut, following a review of the rules in the field.

However, SpaceX is not the only giant expected on the stock market. Two AI leaders, Anthropic and OpenAI, have also filed documents indicating they could have IPOs by the end of the year. Each of these companies is valued at a trillion dollars, and the two AI competitors will likely compete for investor attention. Thus, 2026 could be a landmark year for massive public offerings.