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SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

nytimes.com

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Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#241

Post by skinnymuch »

gpawl wrote: post #105
skinnymuch wrote: post #85

Forbes seems to have always been wrong about Musk's net worth unless I'm missing how it works. By my estimations, now he should be worth around $23B. $11B from Tesla. $11.5B from SpaceX. Obviously they haven't updated for this news yet, but they still won't be at $23B. Regardless, going from having invested all is PayPal money by 08 and in dire straits to being $20B+ 9 years later is awesome. And depending on what na…

Whence this myth that Musk doesn't love money, just because he makes his money making cool tech? http://variety.com/gallery/elon-musk-buys-fifth-bel-air-home... http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-mclaren-f1-hypercar... wrecked-it-2015-6

I meant to say if you believe the narrative that he doesn't care about this scale of money to the same degree as a typical person.

Personally, I do believe that's true. I don't think that precludes him from still using his money for some fun stuff.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#242

Post by rayvd »

gaius wrote: post #107

It makes me sad that SpaceX, a company that actually invents and makes stuff, is mentioned alongside Uber whose only product is evading taxes and regulations

The best thing that Uber has done (whatever its other flaws) is challenge the Taxi/Union/Government monopoly.

More taxes and regulations are NOT good things.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#243

Post by unityByFreedom »

frgtpsswrdlame wrote: post #240
drusepth wrote: post #235

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From a Musk interview with Pelley a while back on SpaceX/Tesla: >>Scott Pelley: How did you figure you were going to start a car company and be successful at it? >Elon Musk: Well, I didn't really think Tesla would be successful. I thought we would most likely fail. But I thought that we at least could address the false perception that people have that an electric car had to be ugly and slow and boring like a golf car…

Yeah my point is that I absolutely don't buy that. If Bezos came out and said that the reason for starting Amazon is really altruism or if Kalanick, speaking to the NY Times explained that, actually, Uber is rooted in fixing the false perceptions people have that public transportation has to be ugly and slow and boring we would all see right through that. Those are obvious examples of bullshit but when Musk comes out…

> Musk's marketing is just marketing that's targetted at "our" demographic.

Couldn't agree more. Tech is a special demographic. If someone figured out how to target the newly wealthy tech crowd, they'd probably do pretty well.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#244

Post by Pica_soO »

valuearb wrote: post #234
sidlls wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of SpaceX's current success is attributable to government funded research and experiments (the entire space program for the last several decades) and government funding (currently) that Musk is taking advantage of. They don't have more mishaps because the innovations they're undertaking are small relative to the existing body of research and experiment, and built on a solid foundation that already e…

The vast majority of government research for space launches was done by the Nazis. Everyone has access to that and NASAs research, yet... SpaceX is currently launching space shuttle sized payloads for a price that is over 40 times less than the shuttle, and less than half the cost of other private competitors, and at a cadence none of them have ever achieved. Re-use is the key launch technology of the future and its…

The key is to no longer take the fuel with you up there.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#245

Post by 27182818284 »

Consultant32452 wrote: post #125
narrator wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon can fail a lot because money for private companies is a lot more expensive and harder to get than for public companies. Musk is playing on hard mode because he wants to retain control.

Musk claims he won't take SpaceX public because public investors have short attention spans and would require profit/return too soon. Because he wants goals set out further than the next quarter, he has kept the company in the hands of like minded investors. That may just be bloviating on his part, but it does seem at least sensible on the surface.

>That may just be bloviating on his part, but it does seem at least sensible on the surface.

His biography definitely seemed to emphasize keeping SpaceX private until Mars starts to unfold

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#246

Post by sidlls »

valuearb wrote: post #234
sidlls wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of SpaceX's current success is attributable to government funded research and experiments (the entire space program for the last several decades) and government funding (currently) that Musk is taking advantage of. They don't have more mishaps because the innovations they're undertaking are small relative to the existing body of research and experiment, and built on a solid foundation that already e…

The vast majority of government research for space launches was done by the Nazis. Everyone has access to that and NASAs research, yet... SpaceX is currently launching space shuttle sized payloads for a price that is over 40 times less than the shuttle, and less than half the cost of other private competitors, and at a cadence none of them have ever achieved. Re-use is the key launch technology of the future and its…

They're a private company the same way any company that is effectively funded by government contract is. Technically it's true, but they haven't demonstrated actual viability in the private market (much less profitability). And the achievements you note have little or nothing to do with their status as a private company and almost everything to do with taking advantage of government research from the past half-century.

The bit about Nazis is entirely irrelevant.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#247

Post by valuearb »

nickik wrote: post #202
valuearb wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ULA isn't buying anything from BO. They have an option to if BO makes far more progress.

Everybody knows that BO is basically in. They string along the other engine to reassure the military.

ULA has one foot outside the launch business already. The BE-4 won't be ready for years. It's not inkkely ULA exits the launch business completely before it's ready, it's at a huge cost disadvantage even with the BE-4.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#248

Post by iknowicouldturn »

loeg wrote: post #4

> Mr. Musk faces competition from another billionaire. Blue Origin, a rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos, the chief executive of Amazon, aims to send tourists and supplies into space. Is that line even close to true? Last I heard Blue Origin was years away from revenue and far behind SpaceX in terms of capability and manufacturing.

It's crazy that Bezos is investing a billion a year consistently into BO. At some point you'd think BO would catch up.

It could've that BO can't attract enough talent. Bezos might not be spending enough time at BO and perhaps the prospects aren't as great there.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#249

Post by iknowicouldturn »

ttam wrote: post #90
EduardoBautista wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon has a load of terrible products. Even their store is getting worse and worse. The fire phone was a complete flop. Amazon cloud drive and music are not at all at the same level as their competitors. Google Home is looking as though it's going to surpass the Echo. Amazon is successful because they are fine with taking losses, only just recently making a small amount of profit compared to their scale.

Plug: why Amazon has a load of terrible products http://constantbetasoftware.com/2015/12/11/bezos-amazon-cult...

I skimmed the video and read the notes. Pretty interesting. Makes sense.

Re: SpaceX Is Now One of the World’s Most Valuable Privately Held Companies

#250

Post by gaius »

Helmet wrote: post #227
gaius wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber is not really cheaper, they are just burning their investors cash to project the illusion. When a) that runs out and b) they have to pay the same fees and taxes and follow the same regulations as other taxi companies, the true cost will be revealed

You're speculating. As it stands right now, Uber is absolutely cheaper than taxi's (at least where I am from). What they have to do in the future is anyone's guess.

Have they figured a way to get cheaper cars and fuel then? And are their drivers willing to work for lower pay than any other drivers?

At the end of the day, you can't sustain charging less for a service than it costs to provide, and make it up on volume.

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