Musk seeks to lock in Tesla-SpaceX merger before Trump leaves office

Elon Musk has finally said what he really thinks: he fully supports a historic merger between SpaceX and Tesla, the two most valuable assets in his portfolio, a move that would set the record for the largest corporate merger in history. Now, a race against time has officially begun. People familiar with the matter say efforts are underway to announce the deal in the first half of 2027 so it can close within the current administration's term. The move would combine two companies with a combined market value of about $3.7 trillion. At the same time, it would consolidate Musk's corporate power before a political and financial environment that may become less accommodating arrives. Less than two weeks remain until the midterm elections. If Democrats win control of either chamber of Congress, Musk and his companies could face investigations, and it would also weaken the power of the president as he enters his "lame-duck" phase. Meanwhile, the ongoing selloff in chipmaker and AI stocks could erode the investor support needed to complete such a bold deal. "Musk and his advisers undoubtedly want to take advantage of the current window. The timing is both favorable and crucial," said Bill Birmingham, head of research at REX Financial. SpaceX and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment on the targeted timing of the merger announcement.