SpaceX and Tesla form committees to consider merger
Elon Musk said shareholders requested the discussions, but no agreement has been reached and a combination remains uncertain.
SpaceX and Tesla have established committees to examine a potential merger, Elon Musk said on SpaceX's third-quarter 2026 earnings call. Musk, the chief executive of both businesses, said the move followed requests from shareholders.
Independent board members from each company make up the committees. Musk and his brother Kimbal Musk are excluded from the discussions because they are considered conflicted parties. The committees have not reached an agreement, and the extent of progress in the talks remains unclear.
The shareholder approval requirements differ between the companies. Fortune reported that Musk controls about 82 percent of SpaceX's voting power. At Tesla, approval would require support from 50 percent of all shareholders, rather than only those who cast votes. Musk cautioned that a merger was not certain.
Musk argued that combining the businesses could support cooperation in superintelligence software, chip design and robotics. Corporate information on their websites lists seven independent directors at Tesla and six at SpaceX. Ira Ehrenpreis sits on both boards and is listed by each company as independent.
