Could SpaceX Stock Make You a Millionaire by 2036?

Source The Motley Fool

Key Points

  • A sizable up-front investment is likely needed for Space Exploration Technologies stock to turn it into $1 million or more.

  • SpaceX already carries a massive valuation.

  • SpaceX could be a solid long-term investment, but it's likely not the next Tesla.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Space Exploration Technologies ›

We are now several months into the record-breaking IPO of Space Exploration Technologies (NASDAQ: SPCX), and the stock has been as volatile as expected. Investors who bought during the stock's first few days of trading have lost a significant amount, while those who bought near SpaceX's low of about $104 are likely sitting on gains.

SpaceX logo on black background.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

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But whether SpaceX can make you a millionaire over the next decade depends largely on one thing: how much money you are willing to invest up front.

That's because SpaceX today isn't, say, Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) at its IPO. If you invested a small amount in Tesla at its opening price on June 29, 2010, you would have a sizable investment right now. For instance, a $10,000 investment at Tesla's opening price of $19 would be worth $3 million today.

SpaceX already carries an enormous valuation, and its next 10 years will likely look nothing like Tesla's 16-year return. Even if SpaceX grew into a $10 trillion company in 10 years, implying a 5.5-fold gain, you would still need to invest about $180,000 today for it to grow into $1 million, assuming no substantial dilution.

Even if you do have $180,000 to invest, that's a sizable amount to put into one stock. SpaceX might be an extraordinary company, but given today's extraordinary expectations, even the most flawless performance could still produce disappointing returns.

All in all, SpaceX could still be a solid long-term investment. But if the potential for explosive gains is what you're after, you might want to consider other growth stocks instead.

Should you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies right now?

Before you buy stock in Space Exploration Technologies, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Space Exploration Technologies wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $389,154!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,406,303!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 949% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 214% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.

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*Stock Advisor returns as of September 23, 2026.

Steven Porrello has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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