How To Prepare For The SpaceX IPO
How to Prepare for the
SpaceX IPO
A guide for SpaceX employees navigating the lock-up period, RSUs, ISOs, AMT, and what to actually do right now that shares are trading.
If you work at SpaceX, today is the day you have been waiting for. On June 12, 2026, SpaceX began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, priced at $135 per share. The offering raised $75 billion at a $1.77 trillion valuation, making it the largest IPO in stock market history, surpassing Saudi Aramco's 2019 record. Reports suggest the IPO could create roughly 4,400 new millionaires within the SpaceX workforce.
We have walked hundreds of clients through an initial public offering at Brooklyn Fi. We have read the documents with them, held their hand on the day the bell rings, and built the trading plans that come after. About 75% of our clients have equity compensation. So here is the honest version of what this process looks like, what you can actually do right now, and the mistakes we watch people make.
The IPO TimelineWhere SpaceX Sits Right Now
SpaceX confidentially filed its S-1 with the SEC on April 1, 2026. The S-1 became public on May 20, 2026, giving investors their first look at the company's internal finances. The roadshow launched on June 4, 2026, and shares began trading today, June 12, 2026, on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX at $135 per share.
What comes next for most employees is the lock-up period. SpaceX has structured a staggered lock-up within the standard 180-day window, meaning employees will have several opportunities to sell shares as part of an early release program rather than on a single date. If the lock-up runs the standard 180 days, the first major sell window falls in December 2026, still within the same tax year as the IPO. That is actually a meaningful planning opportunity worth understanding now.
What SpaceX Employees Can Do Right Now
The IPO is here, but the planning window is not closed. In fact, it is wide open.
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1
Understand your full equity picture. SpaceX employees may hold RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, ESPP shares, and already-exercised shares, each with different tax rules, vesting schedules, and liquidity timelines. Before you can make any decisions, you need a clear picture of exactly what you own and when it becomes available to sell.
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2
Know your lock-up release dates. SpaceX's staggered lock-up means different tranches of shares may become sellable at different times. Understanding your specific release schedule lets you build a trading plan before the window opens rather than scrambling when it does.
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3
Run a tax projection. The IPO itself may trigger taxable events depending on your equity type. RSUs vest and are taxed as ordinary income at fair market value. ISOs have their own set of rules involving the Alternative Minimum Tax. Knowing your estimated tax liability now gives you room to plan.
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4
Decide what you want to keep. If you want to hold a long-term position in SpaceX, start there. How much do you want to keep? Then build a plan to diversify out of the rest systematically. That is a different approach than selling everything on day one, and it usually leads to better outcomes.
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5
Plan beyond this tax year. The decisions you make in 2026 affect your exits in 2027 and beyond. This is a multi-year planning conversation.
A Quick Word on AMT and ISOs
If you hold ISOs and are thinking about exercising and holding to qualify for long-term capital gains treatment, the Alternative Minimum Tax is the thing that can catch you. Exercising ISOs can trigger AMT even though you have not sold a single share. With the lock-up expiring in December 2026, there is a specific planning opportunity: if you can both exercise ISOs and sell other ISO-based shares in the same tax year, there are scenarios where the standard tax liability and AMT liability partially offset each other in a single filing year. This is worth modeling carefully before you act.
Exercising ISOs can trigger AMT even if you have not sold a single share. With the lock-up expiring in December 2026, still within this tax year, there is a unique opportunity to model your ISO exercise and sale strategy together to potentially reduce your overall liability. Model this before you act.
The Gotchas Nobody Warns You About
Going through an IPO is not a smooth process. Here is what to brace for.
None of this is a reason to panic. It is a reason to have someone in your corner who has seen it play out many times and knows what normal looks like.
TimingWhen Is the Right Time to Get Advice?
The optimal time was months ago. The next best time is right now. The IPO is live, the lock-up clock is running, and the tax year is more than half over. The work in front of you is real but very doable: understand your equity, know your lock-up schedule, run a tax projection, and build a plan for where the money goes when the window opens.
And your SpaceX equity is just one part of your complex and wonderful financial life. We want to help you make a plan for your life, not just your equity. What are your hopes and dreams? Do you want to buy a home? Take a sabbatical? Your SpaceX equity is a tool to expedite those things.
As Seen InBrooklyn Fi in NerdWallet
Brooklyn Fi Managing Partner John Owens, CFP, EA, ECA, CPWA, was quoted in NerdWallet's coverage of the SpaceX IPO, sharing his honest perspective on what employees and investors should know before buying in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Talk to a Team That Has Done This Before
This is what we do at Brooklyn Fi. We want to be your decision-making partner so you feel good about every outcome of your SpaceX equity, through the lock-up, at the release window, and in the years that follow. Book a call with our team and let us make a plan.
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