SpaceX is the Dutch East India Company of the space age
- In August 1602, the Dutch East India Company raised Gld6.4-million through the world's first IPO.
- On June 12, 2026, SpaceX raised US$75-billion in the largest IPO in Wall Street history.
- SpaceX's IPO saw demand roughly double the shares on offer, with significant investment from South Africans.
The comparison between the VOC and SpaceX raises important questions about the sustainability of monopolistic practices in rapidly evolving industries. While both companies have successfully tapped into public capital markets, the historical context of the VOC serves as a cautionary tale about the potential decline of dominance and the risks associated with investing in frontier technologies.
