O GLOBO
The name is strange, but it is justified by the rarity of what it describes. SpaceX, Elon Musk's space company that has just put tourists into orbit for the first time in history, has become a “hectocorn”. It's industry jargon for defining start-ups that are worth at least $100 billion — that is, a hundred times unicorn.
The information was published by the website of the American network CNBC, which found details of a recent transaction between the company's shareholders from anonymous sources. In this operation — which took place privately, as the company is not listed on the stock exchange —, SpaceX was valued at US$ 100.3 billion, 35% more than the US$ 74 billion it was worth in February.
The “hectocorns” are so rare that, until then, they didn't even need a plural: only the Chinese company Bytedance, owner of TikTok, fit into the category, according to CB Insights. (Okay, your valuation above an unbelievable $400 billion would deserve a rating of your own…).
The table considers, of course, only companies that have not yet arrived on the Stock Exchange. Even so, “hectocorns” outnumber most listed companies. SpaceX is already worth more, for example, than any Latin American company, surpassing Mercado Livre (US$ 75 billion) and Vale (US$ 74 billion).
Elon Musk is also founder, CEO and a major shareholder of Tesla, the $786 billion electric car maker on Nasdaq.