Why Musk Raced to Take SpaceX Public in the World’s Biggest IPO

Elon Musk and his executives had one overarching message for the army of people working on the SpaceX initial public offering over the past six months: Faster, move faster.

As the gigantic space exploration startup barreled toward a public listing after 24 years as a private company, the urgency was apparent. The acquisition of a $250 billion artificial intelligence company in the middle of the process? Don’t let it slow you down. Why have everyone wait late into the evening for the final terms? Instead, close the deal during market hours.

The rush was driven by a canny strategy: go ...