Why Does SpaceX Want $40 Billion for Chips?
SpaceX is talking to banks and investors about borrowing $40 billion to buy artificial intelligence computer chips from Nvidia. Apollo Global Management is leading the work to set it up. Bloomberg
Reuters reported this on October 6, 2026, citing the Financial Times. Reuters The Financial Times first reported it on October 2, 2026. Financial Times A report on October 7, 2026 again named Apollo as leading the $40 billion plan to buy Nvidia chips. Anadolu
The money is tied to the shopping list. SpaceX would collect cash from banks and investors, with Apollo arranging it, and pay Nvidia for the chips. The $40 billion is to buy Nvidia AI chips. Reuters
Nvidia said it owns part of SpaceX. Financial Times It held SpaceX shares worth nearly $21 billion at the end of June. Financial Times
Separately, SpaceX planned to borrow $20 billion by selling bonds after a record IPO. Bonds are longer loans from investors. The cash would pay back a $20 billion bridge loan, a short loan meant to be replaced fast. Think of it as borrowing for a house move until the main mortgage arrives. Financial Times That short loan then bond plan sits next to the new $40 billion chip talks.
The broader context here is three things at once: big spending on equipment, an outside firm finding the money, and a seller that already owns part of the buyer. How the $40 billion is set up matters as much as the size. If it is backed by the chips, by future sales, or by SpaceX itself, that changes how much debt there is, who gets paid first, and what lenders recover. The legal papers decide who takes the risk.
In my view, investors will watch how the two loans fit together. Replacing a $20 billion short loan with bonds brings risk around timing, price, and demand. A separate $40 billion plan run by Apollo would add more debt tied to when chips arrive. Due dates, borrower rules, and limits on spending will decide how much room SpaceX has.
Looking at what this means for risk pricing, Nvidia owning shares makes it trickier. A supplier that is also an owner may help deliveries, but it links the two firms. For SpaceX lenders, the question is how reliance on one seller, the value of special chips, and the timing of the bridge payoff affect the ability to cover payments if borrowing gets harder. That matters for savers because trouble in big company loans can spread.
