When SpaceX went public, some of us bought the IPO. Many wisely stayed away. So they thought! Those who stood a mile away will also be investors in SPCX soon, unknowingly. “What? impossible!,” you may say. But that’s the reality. Let me explain. An Angel investor evaluates ventures for their future potential and not for what they are currently. Investors in SPCX got in for its future potential and not for its current earnings. But how could those standing on the sidelines be SPCX investors? Here’s the catch. Most investors never noticed it, but 2026 brought a significant change to the index world. Nasdaq and FTSE Russell slashed the waiting period for mega-IPOs to enter major indices—from months to days. With eligibility now arriving after just 15 trading days (Nasdaq-100) or 5 trading days (FTSE Russell), passive index funds can become buyers almost immediately after a company goes public. The old three-to-twelve-month buffer is gone. So if you think you are safely investing only in index funds and staying away from SPCX, know this. You are an investor in SPCX once it enters the index. Of course, there are exceptions. S&P chose to be cautious and rational. Unlike Nasdaq and FTSE Russell, S&P Dow Jones Indices continues to enforce a more conservative standard: at least one year of public trading history and four straight quarters of GAAP profitability.
