{
  "id": 15847322,
  "title": "Elon Musk backs SpaceX-Tesla merger as rocket firm turns profit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/elon-musk-backs-spacex-tesla-merger-as-rocket-firm-turns-profit-15847322",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-21T04:37:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews Business",
    "slug": "euronews-business",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/21/elon-musk-backs-spacex-tesla-merger-as-rocket-firm-turns-profit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Elon Musk has expressed support for a merger between SpaceX and Tesla, as the rocket and AI company reported its first quarterly profit since going public. Musk acknowledged that a potential combination would be \"a good idea,\" despite describing it as \"tap dancing through a minefield\". Special committees of independent directors from both companies were formed to examine the idea following requests from shareholders. However, Musk clarified that he couldn't participate in the discussions due to a conflict of interest. The AI division, now known as \"Super Intelligence\", played a crucial role in the turnaround, driving revenue growth and generating an operating profit of $431 million. SpaceX's cloud services agreements, wider adoption of its Grok chatbot, and the acquisition of Cursor, an AI coding startup, all contributed to the growth. While revenue at the Starlink satellite internet unit increased by 69%, consumer revenue per subscriber fell. The company has invested heavily in computing capacity, reaching 1.7 gigawatts, with plans to expand to an additional 10 gigawatts by 2027.",
  "summary": "Elon Musk has signalled his support for a potential merger between SpaceX and Tesla, as SpaceX reported a sharp rise in revenue and its first quarterly profit since going public.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Seeking Alpha News",
        "title": "Musk says SpaceX, Tesla form committees to explore potential merger",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/musk-says-spacex-tesla-form-committees-to-explore-potential-merger",
        "published": "2026-10-20T21:40:54.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Business Insider",
        "title": "Smile, Elon, you're on camera: SpaceX made its earnings call must-see TV for Musk fans",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/smile-elon-youre-on-camera-spacex-made-its-earnings-call-must-see-tv",
        "published": "2026-10-20T22:23:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
        "title": "Elon Musk says SpaceX, Tesla have begun exploring merger, but warns deal not guaranteed",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musk-says-spacex-tesla-have-begun-exploring-merger-but-warns",
        "published": "2026-10-20T22:34:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fortune",
        "title": "Elon Musk says Tesla and SpaceX are weighing a $3.5 trillion merger—without him in the room",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musk-says-tesla-and-spacex-are-weighing-a-3-5-trillion-merger",
        "published": "2026-10-20T22:50:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Elon Musk's SpaceX reports a profit and he hints at a possible merger with Tesla",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/elon-musks-spacex-reports-a-profit-and-he-hints-at-a-possible-merger",
        "published": "2026-10-20T23:52:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Mint",
        "title": "Elon Musk ordered Starlink's slowdown in Ukraine amid strained Trump-Zelenskyy ties? What we know",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/elon-musk-ordered-starlinks-slowdown-in-ukraine-amid-strained-trump",
        "published": "2026-10-21T01:40:01.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Elon Musk backs SpaceX-Tesla merger as rocket firm turns profit",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/elon-musk-backs-spacex-tesla-merger-as-rocket-firm-turns-profit-15852433",
        "published": "2026-10-21T06:10:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}