China investors secretly acquired SpaceX stakes

Investors with ties to Chinese military contractors and the Qatari royal family secretly acquired stakes in SpaceX prior to its IPO. These investments, ranging from $800,000 to $40 million, were made between 2018 and 2021 through a US-based intermediary firm. SpaceX barred Chinese and Hong Kong investors from its recent IPO due to regulatory concerns, highlighting the sensitivity surrounding foreign investment in companies with US government contracts. The US government scrutinizes such investments for potential espionage and technology access risks, although the intermediary firm and one investor's firm deny providing non-public information.