When Ticker Tape invested in SpaceX, Elon Musk was saying the company was not going to go public. We told our investors this could be a 20-year hold, and that the company might stay private for a very long time. People still wanted in.
The reasons he gave for staying private matter. He wanted to keep control without pressure from public shareholders, and to keep the company focused on getting mankind to Mars, a very long-term goal. Wall Street typically wants to know what you’re doing next quarter, not in seven or eight years. That’s a legitimate reason to stay private. Private-market investing can get you in before an IPO, but only if your time horizon and need for liquidity actually match a hold that long.
Key points
- Ticker Tape invested in SpaceX while Musk was saying it would stay private, and told investors it could be a 20-year hold.
- Investors still wanted to participate on those terms.
- Staying private can protect control and a long-term mission from quarter-to-quarter public-market pressure.
- Access before an IPO only fits if you can actually live with the wait and the lack of liquidity.
Accredited investors: learn about current opportunities at tickertapeinvestments.com.
