Here’s what Elon Musk is likely to do with those billions of dollars in stock sales
It seems possible, maybe even likely, that he’s put at least some of the money into SpaceX, the other company of which he is CEO and primary shareholder.Most of the proceeds from his $16.4 billion in Tesla stock sales since November 8 will go to pay an estimated SpaceX raised $1.2 billion in equity investments earlier this year, before these two most recent capital infusions. While the names of whomever purchased those additional shares are not public, the amounts of four separate infusions were disclosed in filings with the SEC.It’s not clear how much cash Musk had available to him to invest in SpaceX before he started selling his Tesla shares on November 8.The overwhelming majority of his estimated $275 billion net worth comes from the nearly $250 billion value of Tesla shares and options he owns, as well as a chunk of money from his undisclosed stake in SpaceX. If Musk was going to make additional investments in SpaceX, selling Tesla shares was the most likely way for him to do so.The reported email to SpaceX staff right before Thanksgiving is not the first time Musk discussed the financial challenges and cash drain involved in getting Starlink’s internet service up and running. “SpaceX needs to pass through a deep chasm of negative cash flow over the next year or so to make Starlink financially viable,” he said in a tweet in February. “Every new satellite constellation in history has gone bankrupt. We hope to be the first that does not.”