SpaceX set a new benchmark for public offerings when it sold 555.6 million shares at $135 each on June 12, 2026, raising $75 billion. The stock closed its first day up 19 % at $160.95, giving the company a market value of roughly $2.1 trillion.
When the company exercised its overallotment option, the total capital raised rose to $86.2 billion, cementing the deal as the largest IPO ever recorded.
Anthropic’s pending mega‑IPO
On June 1, AI research firm Anthropic confidentially filed paperwork for an initial public offering. Sources say the company hopes to match or exceed SpaceX’s $86.2 billion total, with investors targeting a valuation of $2 trillion or more. No share price, share count, or final valuation target has been disclosed.
If Anthropic’s numbers materialize, the offering would surpass SpaceX both in capital raised and in market valuation, creating a new high‑water mark for public markets.
How the biggest IPOs have performed
The Motley Fool’s analysis of the ten largest offerings shows they have collectively raised more than $180 billion. Returns vary widely. Visa, which went public in March 2008 during the financial crisis, has delivered a 2,854 % total return as of May 2026. By contrast, Saudi Aramco’s 2019 IPO is down 13 % from its offer price.
Technology and financial firms have generally fared better over the long term, while energy, telecom and utility companies have lagged. The data suggest that size alone does not guarantee strong performance; sector dynamics and business model durability play larger roles.
Investor takeaways
Analyst Lou Whiteman cautions that mega‑IPOs often disappoint in their first year as hype fades and lock‑up expirations add share supply. By the five‑year mark, fundamentals tend to dominate price action, though an over‑stretched valuation can still hinder growth.
His advice for investors is simple: stay patient, weather early volatility, and reassess a company’s fundamentals once the market has settled.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
