Elon Musk says Moon can power 1,000x more AI than Earth — Here’s SpaceX boss’ plan to railgun data centers into space

Elon Musk told JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on Thursday that Earth could support only a fraction of the AI ​​computing power that could be built on the Moon, and proposed launching AI data centers into deep space using an electromagnetic railgun as SpaceX prepares to list what is expected to be the world’s largest IPO on Friday with a valuation target of $1.75 trillion.

Earth and Moon: The AI ​​knowledge gap Musk presented to Wall Street

The scale of the key argument Musk presented to a room of 350 investors at JPMorgan’s headquarters in Manhattan was clear. Terrestrial constraints on energy and infrastructure create a hard ceiling on how much AI computing power can realistically be built on Earth, he said, and the Moon completely eliminates those constraints.

“I think we can do around 1 terawatt of AI field computing per year from Earth, but we can do 1,000 terawatts or more from the Moon,” Musk said.

He noted that lunar conditions are structurally advantageous for large-scale AI infrastructure, specifically pointing to the Moon’s lower gravity and lack of an atmosphere.

“Since the Moon has no atmosphere and has about one-sixth the gravity of Earth, you can use an electromagnetic accelerator,” Musk said. “You don’t need to use rockets to create AI data centers deep in the Moon. You can literally shoot them like a railgun.”

SpaceX IPO: $75 billion raise, $1.75 trillion valuation, listing today

The remarks were made during a SpaceX investor pitch held Thursday evening at JPMorgan’s headquarters in Manhattan and streamed live on Musk’s social media platform X. The event is part of a broader Wall Street campaign to build demand ahead of the SpaceX listing, which is expected to price on Friday, June 12.

SpaceX is aiming to raise $75 billion at a $1.75 trillion valuation in what is estimated to be the largest IPO in history. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are leading a syndicate of 23 banks on the deal.

“TLDR… we are entering a massive new phase of growth and we need capital for that,” Musk told Dimon.

He noted that SpaceX’s cash flow has been positive since about 2014 or 2015, and that previous private financing rounds served primarily to provide liquidity to employees and investors rather than providing fresh working capital. He said the IPO reflected a transition to a much more capital-intensive phase in the company’s development.

He suggested that space AI data centers represent “the primary way in which AI can be expanded.”

“It’s getting harder to build a power plant on the ground. There are very few people who want a power plant in their backyard,” Musk said.

Moon before Mars: Musk’s sequential vision for space infrastructure

Beyond AI computing, Musk outlined a broader expansion roadmap that includes the Moon as a first milestone.

“We can build a self-growing city on the Moon faster than we can on Mars,” he said, describing the lunar surface as a base from which manufacturing and infrastructure could be developed before human activity moves into the solar system.

Musk found a characteristically large structure on Mars, indicating that the planet could eventually be made habitable.

“If you heat Mars, you could one day make Mars similar to Earth, which means liquid oceans and life, and a place where you can walk outside without anything resembling a spacesuit,” he said.

He added: “I call Mars the mechanic of a planet, but it has huge potential.”

Starlink expansion and 100,000 new satellites

Musk said IPO proceeds will also fund the expansion of SpaceX’s satellite internet service and Starlink, currently its most profitable business, which will include launching 100,000 new satellites.

Jamie Dimon calls Musk the ‘Edison of our time’

Dimon opened the JPMorgan event by describing Musk as follows: ” [Thomas] The speech was broadcast to 90 JPMorgan branches, with Edison admitting that “the investor roadshow format is new to us.” Among those in the room was Musk’s mother, Maye, who offered words of support.

“Elon is very brave,” Dimon added. “I would never let my mother speak in public while I was in the room.”

JPMorgan brought a rocket sculpture by artist Dustin Yellin for the event, as well as space rocks and meteorite pieces from Yellin’s private collection.

Wall Street’s SpaceX moment

The JPMorgan event follows a fireside chat Thursday between SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell and Bank of America, which reached thousands of investors from BofA’s asset management division and the private bank via a livestream to kick off parties across the country. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are co-leading the deal, with participation from 21 other major lenders.