A private investor list reveals that at least a dozen individuals and entities with addresses in China, Hong Kong, and Russia bought into SpaceX years before its public offering. One investor has documented ties to Chinese military contractors. An entity linked to the Qatari royal family also participated.
The details emerged from court records unsealed this month in a Delaware corporate dispute involving Tomales Bay Capital. The firm had acted as a middleman, packaging SpaceX shares into funds sold to overseas buyers between 2018 and 2021.
One $15 million investment came from an entity owned by David Su, co-founder of Beijing venture firm MPCi. Su’s firm has backed Chinese satellite companies later sanctioned by the US government. MPCi stated that Su received no nonpublic SpaceX information and described him as a Singapore citizen living in Singapore.
Funds affiliated with Bracket Capital, which has ties to the Qatari royal family, invested roughly $48 million through deals from 2017 to 2020. Tomales Bay Capital’s lawyer said investors received only quarterly financials and no sensitive technology details.
SpaceX barred Chinese and Hong Kong investors from its IPO last week, citing regulatory risks. The offering was the largest in history and valued the company at $2.7 trillion.
