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What to Know About Elon Musk’s Merger of SpaceX With His AI Company by Laurence Darmiento

William Attardi on February 10, 2026

Elon Musk recently announced what seemed like an odd pairing of his companies: SpaceX was acquiring xAI, the artificial intelligence firm that also owns the social media platform X. The merger combines a highly profitable rocket company with an AI startup that is burning through billions of dollars as it competes with OpenAI and other rivals for dominance in artificial intelligence. The merged companies are valued at $1.25 trillion. That is higher than recent separate valuations of SpaceX at $800 billion and xAI’s holding company at $230 billion. IPO shares are expected to price at roughly $525. Aside from the financial benefits, there are technical reasons. Musk has sketched out a futuristic plan that involves sending up to a million satellites — called data centers — into an orbit, where the sun could power them all day and night while they do artificial intelligence computations. What to know about Elon Musk’s merger of SpaceX with his AI company

Elon Musk Combined SpaceX and xAI

William Attardi on February 3, 2026

In the rare mega-merger of companies run by the same guy, Musk has brought together his rocket company, which has been planning an IPO, and his AI company, which is best known for Grok, the off-color chatbot that’s good at generating NSFW images. Sources told Bloomberg that the deal, which merges two of the world’s largest private companies, values the combined company at $1.25 trillion. Musk said the tie-up would help him put data centers in space, funding bases on the moon and a colony on Mars. He also said the combination would provide scale “to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!” Morning Brew

SpaceX Plans 2026 IPO

William Attardi on December 15, 2025

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called reports of a planned IPO by SpaceX “accurate” on X, setting the stage for what could be a massing financial infusion for the company. Analysts are speculating the IPO could draw at least $800 billion to the company. Musk says a key strategy for SpaceX will include data centers in space, and the IPO will help fund the potential project. The per share price is expected to begin at $421. If the IPO happens next year, it could make SpaceX the most valuable company in the world. Business News Today – tEDmag

Tesla Launches Robotaxi Program in Austin, Texas

William Attardi on June 23, 2025

Musk appears to be on the verge of making his robotaxi vision a reality with a test run of a small squad of self-driving cabs in Austin, Texas, that began Sunday with customers paying a $4.20 flat fee! Reaching a million may take a year or more, however, although the billionaire should be able to expand the service this year if the Austin demo is a success. The stakes couldn’t be higher, nor the challenges. Rival Waymo was busy deploying driverless taxis in Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin and other cities by using a different technology that allowed it to get to market faster. It just completed its 10 millionth paid ride. Musk says the robotaxis will be running on an improved version of Full Self-Driving and the cabs will be safe. He also says the service will be able to expand rapidly around the country. His secret weapon: Millions of Tesla owners now on the roads. He says an over-the-air software update will soon allow them to turn their cars into driverless cabs and start a side business while stuck at the office for eight hours or on vacation for a week. “Instead of having your car sit in the parking lot, your car could be earning money,” Musk said earlier this year, calling it an Airbnb model for cars. Musk finally rolls out his driverless Tesla taxis after years of promises | AP News

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg Think Smartphones Are on Their Way Out. Tim Cook Says They’re Just Getting Better by Olga Racinowska

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

Are we approaching the end of the smartphone era, and what could possibly replace them?Interestingly, three big tech leaders have totally different takes on where things are headed.

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for 2030 – the Orion AR glasses prototype, a device meant to replace smartphones by letting you use 3D holograms, control apps, chat, and navigate using just your voice, eye movements, and gestures. Meta plans to launch Orion around 2027 and has poured over $80 billion into AR and VR tech since 2014.

Elon Musk wants to replace your phone with your brain – Neuralink is developing brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that could eventually replace smartphones. Their implants let you control tech using only your thoughts, with no need for screens or buttons. Musk’s long-term vision includes wild ideas like telepathy, memory upgrades, and even merging AI with the human brain.

Tim Cook says smartphones are here to stay – Back down to earth for a sec. Tim Cook thinks phones will stay a key part of our daily routine, with smarter AI features and things like AR and wearables adding to the mix instead of taking over.

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg think smartphones are on their way out. Tim Cook says they’re just getting better

Elon Musk Unveils Grok 3, Says It Outperforms All AI Rivals

William Attardi on February 16, 2025

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that Grok 3, the latest version of his AI chatbot developed by xAI, is in its final development stages and will be released in one to two weeks. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Musk claimed that Grok 3 surpasses all existing AI chatbots in reasoning capabilities. In the tests we’ve done so far, Grok 3 is outperforming anything that’s been released, Musk stated, adding that the model analyzes its own mistakes to improve accuracy. The AI will compete with ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google DeepMind), Claude (Anthropic), Mistral AI, and Meta’s (META) Llama. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Elon Musk Unveils Grok 3, Says It Outperforms All AI Rivals

Neuralink’s Brain Chip Technology & Patents

William Attardi on February 16, 2025

Can you imagine moving a cursor just by thinking about where you want it to go? Crazy tech, right? Elon Musk has a track record of turning technically challenging engineering tasks into profitable ventures, and this time, it’s Neuralink we’re talking about. In a major milestone, Neuralink recently announced that it received FDA approval to begin human trials of its brain chip technology in early 2024. This marks a significant step forward in the company’s mission to develop advanced brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that can help restore functionality for individuals with neurological conditions and enhance human capabilities. Neuralink, a company founded by Elon Musk, aims to revolutionize brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). By developing advanced technologies that allow direct communication between the brain and external devices, Neuralink seeks to restore functionality for individuals with neurological conditions and enhance human capabilities. The initial focus is on addressing paralysis and treating complex neurological conditions. Neuralink’s Brain Chip Technology & Patents

Elon Musk’s Neuralink gets FDA Approval: See How It Works

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.