Accredited investors buy into SpaceX via private-market platforms
Platforms in the private market, such as Hiive, Forge, and EquityZen, allow accredited investors to acquire shares in companies before their IPOs, including SpaceX. An investor, identified as George, put $150,000 into a SpaceX SPV on Hiive and $45,000 into xAI, which has now appreciated to $750,000 but remains inaccessible. Another investor, known on Reddit as KonyayJWest, invested $450,000 in SpaceX, which reached a high of $3.8 million and is currently valued at approximately $2.8 million, also locked. The average delay for IPOs has extended to 13 years, with private fundraising increasing, highlighted by OpenAI's $122 billion round in March 2025. Risks involve Linqto's bankruptcy and SEC scrutiny over unregistered securities, with critics cautioning against illiquid assets. In 2022, accredited U.S. households rose to 18.5% from 1.8% in 1983.
Key facts
- Accredited investors can now buy pre-IPO company stakes via platforms like Hiive, Forge, and EquityZen.
- George invested $150,000 in a SpaceX SPV on Hiive plus $45,000 in xAI; stake worth $750,000 by July but locked.
- KonyayJWest put $450,000 into SpaceX through Hiive for about 18,000 shares; stake peaked at $3.8 million, now ~$2.8 million.
- Companies wait a median of 13 years to go public, down from 6 in 2000.
- OpenAI raised $122 billion in March 2025, the largest private placement.
- Charles Schwab bought Forge; Morgan Stanley bought EquityZen in 2025.
- President Trump signed an executive order in April easing 401(k) access to private investments.
- Linqto went bankrupt after marking up shares up to 60%; SEC investigating; customers may recover ~95% via court-approved plan.
Entities
Institutions
- Hiive
- Forge
- EquityZen
- SpaceX
- xAI
- OpenAI
- Charles Schwab
- Morgan Stanley
- Gridline
- Better Markets
- Linqto
- Ripple
- Anthropic
- SEC
- Wall Street Journal
- Quartz
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
Sources
- Quartz —