Elon Musk’s September 2026 comments at the All-In Summit have fueled trader optimism around a Tesla-SpaceX merger, as he declined to rule out combining the companies amid deepening collaboration on AI chips via the Terafab project, Starlink integration in vehicles, and shared robotics and data-center efforts. SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell noted integration is advancing faster than expected following SpaceX’s June IPO and its xAI tie-up, while recent SEC approval for Tesla’s retail-share voting instructions and analyst forecasts—such as Cathie Wood’s view of a possible year-end announcement—have reinforced expectations of an all-stock deal. Key hurdles remain, including China-related regulatory constraints tied to SpaceX’s defense work and the need for Tesla shareholder approval.