Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTKerry Hannon · Senior ColumnistFri, June 5, 2026 at 7:47 PM GMT+2 5 min readElon Musk's SpaceX (SPAX.PVT) is set to go public with the largest initial public offering ever on June 12, blasting into the market at a targeted valuation of nearly $1.8 trillion.The rules are being rewritten for SpaceX to make it easier for small investors to get in on the launch.For starters, rules to protect passive investors — including workers saving for retirement — that keep unproven firms out of index funds have been eased, meaning SpaceX will begin trading on two major indexes within a few days of its IPO. If you're investing in a 401(k) via broad index funds, a sliver of the rocket and satellite company is likely to wind up in your account.And this week, Fidelity reduced the minimum account balance requirement for its customers to invest in SpaceX to just $2,000. The previous balance required was $100,000 or $500,000, depending on the IPO.Fidelity said it reduced IPO eligibility because SpaceX is allocating a higher-than-usual share of the offering to retail investors."Most initial public offerings (IPOs) offer retail customers only 5% to 10% of the total offering, which significantly reduces the amount of stock available to our retail clients," Fidelity posted in a Q&A on its website. "SpaceX has decided to reserve a much higher percentage of the offering (up to 30%), which means there should be more shares available to retail clients, which is why we have decided to reduce IPO eligibility for this offering."So there's ample opportunity to get in on this history-making IPO. But is it wise?"Investors should be careful not to confuse access with opportunity," financial planner Lazetta Rainey Braxton said. "A great company can still be a poor investment if the price paid assumes too much future success."A Falcon 9 SpaceX heavy rocket lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File) · AP Photo/John RaouxRetirement savers and inexperienced investors may feel the excitement around a company pushing new boundaries of space exploration, Braxton noted, while knowing little about IPOs."The allure of investments typically associated with institutional and ultra-wealthy investors can be seductive," she told Yahoo Finance. "Many retail investors see an opportunity like SpaceX and focus on finally getting a chance to own something that is typically out of reach.""What concerns me is that many retail investors appear to be evaluating SpaceX as a cultural phenomenon rather than a financial asset," added Mark Stancato, a financial adviser at VIP Wealth Advisors in Decatur, Ga."They're buying the rockets, the innovation, the Elon Musk story, and the dream of Mars,” he said. “Those may all be compelling narratives, but narratives can also lead investors to stop asking hard questions about valuation and expected returns."Terms and Privacy PolicyPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info