The real reasons Elon Musk merged xAI and SpaceX

Elon Musk just created the world’s most valuable private company. And he didn’t do it through rapid growth or a new product launch — at least not directly, anyway.

Instead, as reported this week, Musk merged his artificial intelligence startup xAI into his wildly successful rocket company, SpaceX.

Combined together, the two companies are now valued at an estimated $1.25 trillion. It’s the biggest merger in history. And because Musk controls both companies, he calls most of the shots when it comes to the deal.