Musk backs Tesla-SpaceX merger idea as Tesla profit drops 43%
–
Neutral summary
Elon Musk has for the first time publicly backed the idea of merging Tesla and SpaceX, his two largest companies. “Do I think it’s a good idea? Yes,” he said on Tuesday during a call with financial analysts following SpaceX’s latest results. Musk noted the merger was not a done deal and would require shareholder approval, but said both companies had formed special committees to study the possibility. “The special committees have not agreed on the terms of any deal, and there is no guarantee they will,” he said. “But I think there is a lot of sense in the merger and it could give a lot.” Tesla is valued at roughly $1.5 trillion and SpaceX at $2 trillion, making a combination one of the largest corporate deals in history. Against that backdrop, Tesla reported a 43% decline in third-quarter net income to $787 million, on revenue of $28.05 billion, roughly flat year over year. Operating profit fell 56% due to higher research and development spending on AI and robotics as well as lower vehicle sales. Free cash flow came in at $1.53 billion, beating market expectations, while the 2026 capital expenditure forecast was cut to about $20 billion from over $25 billion. Active FSD (Full Self-Driving) contracts rose 67% to 1.74 million, and the Cybercab robotaxi began operations. Tesla shares fell in trading as investors hoped for new details on the merger from Musk, but he offered none. Earlier, SpaceX reported revenue up 161% to $14.6 billion, posting its first operating profit as a public company; AI segment revenue nearly tripled to $7.6 billion, surpassing Starlink for the first time. Several outlets, including Valor Econômico and El Economista, note that Musk’s public support for the deal could create political and regulatory hurdles, including in China and the US, and recall the SolarCity precedent of 2016. The Verge comments ironically on the possible merger, pointing to SpaceX’s high credit risk as it plans to borrow another $40 billion for Nvidia chips.
How it was framed
Outlets: 92. Countries: 25. Facts in the shared core: 5.
Publication timeline
-
·
Exame (outlet profile)
SpaceX, de Elon Musk, reverte prejuízo e lucra R$ 4,4 bi no 3º tri: ação sobe. Receita de US$ 14,6 bi supera projeções, e IA ultrapassa a Starlink pela primeira vez
-
·
Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
SpaceX quarterly revenue jumps, beats estimates as AI business surges
-
·
Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
Musk calls Tesla-SpaceX merger a 'good idea' as SpaceX posts first profit as a public company
-
·
Financial Times (outlet profile)
SpaceX’s data centre deals boost revenue by 161%. Elon Musk’s conglomerate spent more than $19bn on capital investments, more than Wall Street expected
-
·
www.rbc.ru (outlet profile)
Выручка SpaceX выросла на 161%. Выручка SpaceX в третьем квартале выросла до $14,6 млрд, что на 161% больше, чем квартальная выручка за аналогичный период прошлого года ($5,6 млрд), сообщает Financial Times со ссылкой н…
-
·
The Verge (outlet profile)
SpaceX says big AI growth fueled revenue jump. SpaceX announced revenues of $14.6 billion in its Q3 earnings on Tuesday, which it says was a growth of 161 percent year-over-year "fueled by our Super Intelligence (SI) se…
-
·
Fortune (outlet profile)
SpaceX posts first operating profit as public company as AI revenue nearly triples to $7.6 billion—cruising past Starlink. Computing leases, the Cursor acquisition, Grok, and reported deals with Anthropic and Google pus…
-
·
Business Insider (outlet profile)
SpaceX is spending more than ever on AI. Its AI business is also bringing in more than Starlink for the first time.. SpaceX's AI spending was lower than Wall Street expected but higher than the company spent the quarter…
-
·
Forbes (outlet profile)
SpaceX Posts $431 Million AI Operating Profit As Total Revenue Jumps 161%. The aerospace and AI company posted $14.6 billion in revenue, up 161% year-over-year.
-
·
Expansión (outlet profile)
La “Superinteligencia” ya es el negocio más grande de SpaceX; creció 830% y superó a Starlink y sus cohetes. La división de Inteligencia Artificial de Elon Musk generó 7,560 millones de dólares, un crecimiento del 195%…
-
·
TechCrunch (outlet profile)
SpaceX’s AI business is beating expectations. SpaceX’s data centers and Grok agents have been more profitable than investors expected in second quarter of the year, as the company leaves its roots as a space compa…
-
·
Olhar Digital (outlet profile)
SpaceX mais que dobra receita e lucra R$ 23,8 bilhões em um trimestre. Receita da empresa de Elon Musk disparou 161% em um ano, impulsionada por contratos de computação em nuvem O post SpaceX mais que dobra receita e lu…
-
·
InfoMoney (outlet profile)
SpaceX registra lucro acima do esperado e receita dispara no 3º tri; ação sobe 1,4%. A receita da empresa, por sua vez, subiu 161% na comparação anual, para US$ 14,6 bilhões The post SpaceX registra lucro acima do esper…
-
·
Business Insider (outlet profile)
Starlink's subscriber growth missed. Its profits didn't.. SpaceX's Starlink beat earnings estimates while missing its subscriber growth. The company is looking to become a challenger in the mobile arena.
-
·
Коммерсантъ (outlet profile)
SpaceX увеличила квартальную выручку на 161%. Выручка американской аэрокосмической корпорации SpaceX по итогам третьего квартала 2026 года увеличилась до $14,6 млрд, что на 161% больше год к году, передает Financial Tim…
-
·
Handelsblatt (outlet profile)
Weltraumfirma: Musks SpaceX mit Milliarden-Quartalsgewinn. Die Weltraumfirma SpaceX fuhr lange einen Milliardenverlust nach dem anderen ein. Dank Erlösen aus KI-Rechenzentren und dem Satelliten-Dienst Starlink gibt es n…
-
·
La Tercera (outlet profile)
SpaceX supera las estimaciones en su primer reporte de resultados tras debutar en Wall Street. La compañía informó que en el tercer trimestre tuvo ingresos por US$14.600 millones, con un alza interanual de 161%. Además…
-
·
Valor Econômico (outlet profile)
SpaceX reverte prejuízo e lucra US$ 4,4 bilhões no 3º trimestre. A SpaceX apresentou um lucro líquido de US$ 4,4 bilhões no terceiro trimestre de 2026, revertendo o prejuízo de US$ 1,05 bilhão reportado há um ano. Diluí…
-
·
Valor Economico (outlet profile)
SpaceX reverte prejuízo e lucra US$ 4,4 bilhões no 3º trimestre. A SpaceX apresentou um lucro líquido de US$ 4,4 bilhões no terceiro trimestre de 2026, revertendo o prejuízo de US$ 1,05 bilhão reportado há um ano. Diluí…
-
·
O Globo (outlet profile)
Lucro da SpaceX supera as estimativas no 3º trimestre graças ao aumento de 161% na receita. A SpaceX superou as estimativas de receita e lucro no trimestre, impulsionada pelo forte crescimento de seus negócios de inteli…
-
·
Handelsblatt (outlet profile)
Elon Musk: Musks SpaceX mit Milliarden-Quartalsgewinn. Das Geschäft mit Satelliteninternet und KI-Rechenzentren treibt die Erlöse von SpaceX kräftig nach oben. Der Umsatz übertrifft die Erwartungen der Analysten deutlic…
-
·
Handelsblatt (outlet profile)
Elon Musk: Raumfahrtkonzern SpaceX meldet Milliardengewinn – Tesla-Übernahme rückt näher. Das Geschäft mit Satelliteninternet und Rechenzentren treibt den Gewinn. Wie Chef Musk bestätigt, diskutieren „Ausschüsse“ des We…
-
·
The Verge (outlet profile)
Tesla and SpaceX are discussing a possible merger, Musk says. Tesla and SpaceX have formed special committees to discuss a possible merger, Elon Musk said during the latter's third quarter earnings call Tuesday. Musk, w…
-
·
Folha de S.Paulo (outlet profile)
Acordos da SpaceX para alugar data centers elevam receita em 161%. A SpaceX informou que sua receita trimestral disparou 161%, impulsionada por acordos de aluguel de seus data centers, que elevaram as vendas e os lucros…
-
·
UOL (outlet profile)
Acordos da SpaceX para alugar data centers elevam receita em 161%. A SpaceX informou que sua receita trimestral disparou 161%, impulsionada por acordos de aluguel de seus data centers, que elevaram as vendas e os lucros…
-
·
Axios (outlet profile)
Space X and Tesla exploring merger, CEO Elon Musk says. SpaceX and Tesla have formed special committees to discuss a potential merger — and Elon Musk thinks "it's a good idea," the CEO of both companies said Tuesday. Wh…
-
·
ABC News (outlet profile)
SpaceX revenue soars 161% as AI business grows. Elon Musk-led SpaceX issued its second-ever quarterly earnings report on Tuesday.
-
·
Business Insider (outlet profile)
Elon Musk says Tesla and SpaceX have set up committees to explore a merger. Elon Musk, who is CEO of both companies and owns billions in stock, said he can't be a part of those merger discussions.
-
·
Bloomberg (outlet profile)
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily Podcast: SpaceX, Netflix Report Earnings. The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy. Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF Netflix reported e…
-
·
Terra (outlet profile)
SpaceX tem salto na receita do trimestre e supera estimativas impulsionada por IA. A SpaceX, de Elon Musk, divulgou nesta terça-feira lucro de terceiro trimestre que superou ...
Factual core
- Elon Musk said SpaceX and Tesla are discussing a possible merger.
- SpaceX's revenue reached 14.6 billion US dollars in the third quarter, exceeding projections
- Tesla reported a decline in third-quarter profit.
- SpaceX's revenue growth was driven by growth in its AI business.
- Tesla's spending on AI and robotics clouds its outlook.
In the daily issue: The day in brief — October 21, 2026
Other stories of the day
- Critical PHP flaws trigger global website outages
- France extends curfews, vows 'massive' police deployment for weekend protests
- WSJ: Musk personally ordered Starlink slowdown for Ukraine
- Google Cloud outage disrupts UK and European banks
- Australian MP Helen Haines loses both legs after car attack
- Italy tightens protest laws, sends 500 troops to Milan after riots
- PSG beat Barcelona 4-2 in Champions League, but lose three players to injury
- Nigeria confirms first Ebola case in over a decade