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US President Donald Trump has purchased shares in SpaceX, the space technology company founded by Elon Musk, according to a recently released government financial disclosure.
Trump purchased SpaceX shares worth between $15,001 and $50,000 on June 23, the disclosure showed. He signed the document on August 12, and it was made public on August 22.
The investment gives the president a direct financial stake in a major government contractor that has close ties to Musk, who previously served as a senior adviser to Trump.
The SpaceX purchase was among more than 1,000 stock transactions Trump made in June.
SpaceX completed what was described as the largest initial public offering (IPO) in US history after listing its shares on June 12. The IPO valued the space, artificial intelligence and satellite services company at $1.77 trillion.
Trump’s investment has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest because his administration regularly makes policy decisions that could affect SpaceX’s business prospects.
SpaceX is a major contractor for the US military and relies on various government approvals for its operations. Trump also recently ordered a significant increase in the number of commercial rocket launches in the United States, an area in which SpaceX is a major player.
White House spokesperson Davis Engle, however, said the president’s investment portfolio is managed independently by a third-party financial institution.
According to Engle, the institution primarily manages investments by following recognized indexes such as the Schwab 1000. Neither Trump nor any member of his family has the ability to influence the management of the investments or decide when specific shares are bought or sold, he said.
Trump is not the only senior administration official with financial ties to Musk’s companies.
Kelly Loeffler, head of the US Small Business Administration and a member of Trump’s Cabinet, reportedly made substantial profits from SpaceX’s IPO.
Loeffler had previously invested in xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence and social media company, which was later merged with SpaceX.
Under US regulations, financial disclosures report assets within specified value ranges rather than their exact values. As a result, the precise amount of Trump’s SpaceX investment cannot be determined from the disclosure.
