As Elon Musk prepares for what will likely be the biggest listing in history, some top-tier bankers assisting with SpaceX’s public debut are lining up to sing Musk’s praises ahead of the big day.
“It’s been an extraordinary 24 years watching Elon grow over time, and now making a massive leap into the future,” Dimon told Musk during the event. The interview opened with an in-person special guest appearance from his mother, Maye Musk, who similarly lavished praise on her son’s seemingly prodigal vision for the future as a child.
“When you were three years old and I told people, ‘I have a genius son,’ they would roll their eyes,” she said. “When you said you wanted to start with rockets, then I rolled my eyes. And then, you did it.”
That publicity role has taken on even more importance this week during SpaceX’s IPO roadshow, the pre-listing window when companies and their backers deliver final pitches to investors and turn the hype machine into high gear through a marketing blitz and high-profile media appearances.
Musk, known for his demanding leadership style and divisive politics, also sought to soften his image somewhat during the interview with Dimon.
“I think I’m probably more chill than I used to be,” said the man whose previous stunts included taking a “chainsaw for bureaucracy” to the stage at CPAC just a year ago. “Not that laid-back, but more than I used to be.”
