Why keep Tesla and SpaceX as separate companies?

Q506 answers2018-2026
Short answer

He treated the merger question as obvious rather than answering it directly, pointing to how much Tesla and SpaceX already collaborate across levels and overlapping management. He did not confirm a deal.

From his 2026-09 answer in Elon Musk & Gwynne Shotwell on AI Risks and Peer Review, Starship, Terafab, SpaceX/Tesla Merger | All-In Podcast. Summary is ours; see the quotes below.

All 6 answers, oldest to newest

🎙 Interview · 2018-08 · SEC Deposition — "Funding Secured" · asked by SEC counsel (deposition) · watch at 32:10 · transcript ·
He said it is similar at both companies: he is CEO and chief engineer / chief designer of the rockets, and he drives the technical direction of the product.
"I'm the CEO and chief engineer, uh chief designer of the rockets"
🎙 Interview · 2023-07-14 · xAI launch X Spaces (2023) · asked by X Spaces host · watch at 32:01 · transcript ·
He says any xAI relationship with Tesla has to be an arm's-length transaction.
"Obviously any relationship with Tesla has to be an arm's length transaction"
🎙 Interview · 2023-07-14 · xAI launch X Spaces (2023) · asked by X Spaces host · watch at 59:11 · transcript ·
He says xAI and Tesla can help each other, and notes a materials science team shared between Tesla and SpaceX.
"I think bidirectionally, XAI can help Tesla and vice versa."
🎙 Interview · 2023-12-21 · X Spaces with Cathie Wood (ARK Invest) (2023) · asked by Cathie Wood · watch at 34:49 · transcript ·
He says SpaceX never thinks about the quarter or the stock price.
"I mean at SpaceX we never think about the quarter, we never think about it and we don't think about the stock price."
🎙 Interview · 2026-07 · Tesla Q2 2026 earnings call · asked by Colin (Wells Fargo) · watch at 45:01 · transcript ·
He pointed to growing collaboration and overlap with SpaceX, especially Terafab as a gigantic joint project, then said combining companies cannot be discussed on an earnings call and has to follow the appropriate process.
"there's more and more overlap, especially with Terrafab"
🎙 Interview · 2026-09 · Elon Musk & Gwynne Shotwell on AI Risks and Peer Review, Starship, Terafab, SpaceX/Tesla Merger | All-In Podcast · asked by David Friedberg · watch at 52:35 · transcript ·
He treated the merger question as obvious rather than answering it directly, pointing to how much Tesla and SpaceX already collaborate across levels and overlapping management. He did not confirm a deal.
"what action one one might take uh when there's so much close collaboration"

Last updated: 2026-09 (newest answer).

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